Mexico clinic plans 20 ‘three-parent’ babies in 2017

The New Scientist reports that many more three-parent babies will soon be on their way. A clinic in Mexico is planning to use the technique in 20 pregnancies in the first half of 2017, according to medical director Alejandro Chavez-Badiola.

The first baby to be born using this technique to prvent passing on genetic disease was born this year. Test results yet to be published have revealed that the baby boy is perfectly healthy, New Scientist has been told.

The idea is that the technique, called mitochondrial replacement, avoids harmful mitochondrial mutations passing from the mother to her children. It works by removing the nucleus from a mother’s egg and inserting it into t donor egg, which has its own nucleus removed. The egg is then fertilized with the father’s sperm.

To read complete article click here.

Source: newscientist.com