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A revolutionary IVF technique that creates babies with three biological parents has been developed by scientists. The procedure - designed to stop the spread of incurable inherited diseases - has been used to produce four apparently healthy monkeys. Scientists believe it could lead to the first genetically engineered children within a few years.
The technique is intended to help women who carry genetic diseases. It involves transferring DNA from the mother's own faulty egg cell to a healthy egg donated by another woman. Children conceived by the process would inherit DNA from three sources - their real mother, the female donor and their father. The American team behind the breakthrough say it could be used to eradicate potentially fatal forms of inherited epilepsy, blindness and heart disease.
However, critics say it is a disturbing step towards the era of genetically engineered children and warned that it erodes the sanctity of life. The research is intended to tackle 'mitochondrial diseases' - a range of incurable conditions which affect one in 5,000 babies in the UK. The diseases are caused by mutations in the mitochondrial DNA passed down from mothers to children.
Dr Masahito Tachibana, who led the research at the Oregon National Primate Research Centre in America, believes the technique should work in people as well as monkeys. 'So far, we produced four monkey infants by this method and they are all healthy,' he said. 'We think this method can be applied to humans to prevent transmission of mitochondrial DNA mutations in affected families.'
Spindler is another of the four monkeys who appear healthy after they were conceived using the new technique. Mitochondria are the sausage-shaped 'power packs' that float around inside cells, converting food into energy that the body can use. Each contains a tiny strand of DNA. Doctors have identified around 50 diseases caused by mutations of this DNA - some of which kill before adulthood.
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