It Takes Three to Tango
WHAT MITOCHONDRIAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY REVEALS ABOUT PARENTHOOD , CREATION , AND TECHNOLOGY
Cindy Won
MRT : Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy IVF : In Vitro Fertilization
High school and college students alike fondly refer to the mitochondria as “ the powerhouse of the cell ” because it ensures that our cells create energy for our body . What happens , then , if our mitochondria do not function because the genes that encode them are mutated ? Although rare , approximately 1,000 to 4,000 babies in the United States every year are born with such conditions . 1 This results in a host of devastating health problems , such as Leigh Syndrome and Kearns-Sayre Syndrome , 2 which severely decrease life expectancy and quality of life .
However , a sliver of hope does exist : in 2016 , a Jordanian woman , a carrier of faulty mitochondria , gave birth in Mexico to a healthy baby , helped by a team of physicians from New Hope Fertility Center in New York . In 2017 , a Ukranian woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy , despite the fact that she too carried faulty mitochondria . And in 2019 , a Greek
1 Mullin , Emily , et al . “ Proponents Start Push to Lift U . S . Ban on ' Three-Parent IVF '.” 2 Tachibana , Masahito , et al . “ Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy and Assisted Reproductive Technology : A Paradigm Shift toward Treatment of Genetic Diseases in Gametes or in Early Embryos .”
woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy after previous failed in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) attempts . 3
All three of these women utilized mitochondrial replacement therapy ( MRT ), a form of IVF which allows carriers of dysfunctional mitochondrial DNA to conceive healthy children . During the MRT process , the nucleus from an egg with unhealthy mitochondria is transferred into a second donor egg with healthy mitochondria . This unique hybrid egg is then fertilized with sperm by IVF , and the resulting embryo is subsequently transferred into the mother ’ s womb .
Although originally intended strictly as a mitochondrial treatment , this method has also been used by couples for whom traditional IVF has not been successful or maternal aging is of concern .
In the United States , however , MRT and all associated research efforts have been banned by the “ Renewable Rider ” law , which prohibits the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) from acknowledging or reviewing any clinical trials involving modifications to the germline . Because of its connection with
3 Christofaro , Beatrice . “ A Baby in Greece Was Born with 3 Parents after Doctors Used an Experimental Technique to Make ‘ Medical History ’.”
8 Spring 2021