Cloning from two mothers, UK gives the green light

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 08 Sep 2005 - 19:00 PDT

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Scientists at Newcastle University, UK, have been granted permission to clone a human embryo with genes from two different mothers. The procedure will be as follows: A man and a woman fertilize an egg. That new embryo's nucleus will be placed into an unfertilized egg of another woman.

The aim of this procedure is to filter out genetic defects which would be passed on to the baby.

Mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother. If the mother's mitochondria is not sound the unborn baby will inherit those genetic faults. These faults are currently called mitochondrial diseases. They are (faults) located outside the nucleus. This means the mother can produce an early embryo nucleus without passing on her defects on to him/her.

Therefore, a woman may fertilize her own egg (with sperm from a man), pass on the embryo and place its nucleus into an unfertilized egg of a woman who does not have this fault. The baby will not inherit his/her mother's mitochondrial disease.

Lab tests on mice have demonstrated that mitochondrial diseases can be prevented if the nucleus of the embryo is moved out early enough and placed into another egg that does not have faulty mitochondria.

Good mitochondria is essential for the formation of our most vital organs.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Editor, Medical News Today

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