- It is also called Mitochondrial Gene Therapy
- MRT or Mitochondrial donation is a medical technique in which defective mitochondria carried by a woman is replaced with the healthy mitochondria of a donor.
- Through invitro fertilization technique (IVF), the egg is then fertilised with the partner’s sperm. Thus the embryo remains free from any such defects.
- The two most common techniques in mitochondrial donation are maternal spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer.
- Thus this medical technique prevents the transmission of mitochondrial (genetic) disease from one generation to the next.
- MRT proposes to give parents chance of having a child that is over 99% genetically matched to them and most importantly free of the mitochondrial disease
- Benefits:
- It will prevent transmission of mitochondrial (genetic) disease from one generation to the next.
- It will give parents chance of having a child that is over 99% genetically matched to them and most importantly free of the mitochondrial disease.
- It has no impact on personality or looks of the offspring from third DNA set, as surrogate mitochondrial DNA is separate from core DNA in cells.
- Why in news?
- First three parent child was born via this technique in Mexico
- UK became first country in world to legalise MGT
