3-Parent IVF
Bioethics ‘Key Questions’ Postcard Series
Key questions to engage with
3-Parent IVF What$is$mitochondrial$disease?$
Did$you$know?$$
Why$take$an$interest?$
Mitochondria$are$the$powerhouses$ of$the$cell,$taking$in$in$nutrients,$ breaking$them$down$and$crea5ng$ energy$for$the$cell.$ • A$disease$transmiTed$through$DNA$ in$the$mitochondria$in$the$cell$as$ opposed$to$DNA$in$the$cell$nucleus.$$
Mitochondrial$diseases$are$ rela5vely$rate.$Es5mates$suggest$1$ in$200$children$are$born$each$year$ with$abnormal$mtDNA.$1$in$10,000$ are$severely$affected$[a]$$
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What$does$3Gparent$IVF$involve?$
The$‘threeGparent’$IVF$technique$can$be$carried$out$in$two$different$ways.$Both$aim$to$ create$an$embryo$that$does$not$carry$a$mitochondrial$disorder.$This$is$achieved$by$ replacing$the$cytoplasm$containing$the$abnormal$mitochondria$from$an$affected$mother$ with$cytoplasm$and$mitochondria$from$an$unaffected$woman.$$ •
Who$are$the$parents?$$ •
The$resul5ng$embryo$will$have$DNA$from$three$people:$nuclear$DNA$from$the$sperm$ of$the$male$father$and$egg$of$the$prospec5ve$mother$and$mitochondrial$DNA$ (mtDNA)$from$the$egg$of$a$second$‘mother’.$$
Safety.(Scien5sts$have$not$yet$ shown$that$mixing$nuclei$and$ cytoplasm$from$different$individuals$ is$safe$for$the$recombined$embryo$ and$does$not$adversely$affect$ normal$development.$$ Moral(status(of(the(embryo.(These$ techniques$involve$the$crea5on$and$ destruc5on$of$human$embryos.$This$ calls$in$to$ques5on$the$value$of$the$ human$embryos$and$whether$they$ represent$the$most$vulnerable$of$ human$life$worthy$of$respect$and$ protec5on.$$ Germline(modifica8on.(These$new$ techniques$alter$the$genes$passed$ on$to$the$new$genera5on.$No$future$ genera5on$will$have$given$their$ consent$to$the$procedures.$Is$this$ right?$$
[a]$hTp://nuffieldbioethics.org/wpGcontent/uploads/2014/06/Novel_techniques_for_the_preven5on_of_mitochondrial_DNA_disorders_compressed.pdf$$
3-Parent IVF
Bioethics ‘Key Questions’ Postcard Series
Key questions to engage with
3-Parent IVF What$is$mitochondrial$disease?$
Did$you$know?$$
Why$take$an$interest?$
Mitochondria$are$the$powerhouses$ of$the$cell,$taking$in$in$nutrients,$ breaking$them$down$and$crea5ng$ energy$for$the$cell.$ • A$disease$transmiTed$through$DNA$ in$the$mitochondria$in$the$cell$as$ opposed$to$DNA$in$the$cell$nucleus.$$
Mitochondrial$diseases$are$ rela5vely$rate.$Es5mates$suggest$1$ in$200$children$are$born$each$year$ with$abnormal$mtDNA.$1$in$10,000$ are$severely$affected$[a]$$
•
•
$
•
What$does$3Gparent$IVF$involve?$
The$‘threeGparent’$IVF$technique$can$be$carried$out$in$two$different$ways.$Both$aim$to$ create$an$embryo$that$does$not$carry$a$mitochondrial$disorder.$This$is$achieved$by$ replacing$the$cytoplasm$containing$the$abnormal$mitochondria$from$an$affected$mother$ with$cytoplasm$and$mitochondria$from$an$unaffected$woman.$$ •
Who$are$the$parents?$$ •
The$resul5ng$embryo$will$have$DNA$from$three$people:$nuclear$DNA$from$the$sperm$ of$the$male$father$and$egg$of$the$prospec5ve$mother$and$mitochondrial$DNA$ (mtDNA)$from$the$egg$of$a$second$‘mother’.$$
Safety.(Scien5sts$have$not$yet$ shown$that$mixing$nuclei$and$ cytoplasm$from$different$individuals$ is$safe$for$the$recombined$embryo$ and$does$not$adversely$affect$ normal$development.$$ Moral(status(of(the(embryo.(These$ techniques$involve$the$crea5on$and$ destruc5on$of$human$embryos.$This$ calls$in$to$ques5on$the$value$of$the$ human$embryos$and$whether$they$ represent$the$most$vulnerable$of$ human$life$worthy$of$respect$and$ protec5on.$$ Germline(modifica8on.(These$new$ techniques$alter$the$genes$passed$ on$to$the$new$genera5on.$No$future$ genera5on$will$have$given$their$ consent$to$the$procedures.$Is$this$ right?$$
[a]$hTp://nuffieldbioethics.org/wpGcontent/uploads/2014/06/Novel_techniques_for_the_preven5on_of_mitochondrial_DNA_disorders_compressed.pdf$$