Surprised? Yes you heard it right. The Controversial regulations effectively legalising so-called “three-parent” IVF babies is expected to be voted on by UK MPs before the general election, and could even be passed within weeks.
According to a report published in the Independent, “Human embryos created using genetic material from three parents could be legal in as few as three weeks even though safety concerns remain”
The three-parent technique uses genetic material from two women and the sperm from one man to create an embryo, which is then implanted using in-vitro fertilization. The objective is to create a baby free of grave mitochondrial diseases that can cause incapacitating physical, development, and physical illnesses. Mitochondrial disease affects the mitochondria, which generate energy for cells.
Proponents claim the 3-parent technique can prevent the babies of women who carry gene mutations from inheriting them, since all mitochondria genes are passed along to offspring through the mother’s genetic material.
The FDA is also considering the 3-parent technique, but says it will take at least two years to conduct safety studies before clinical trials can begin in the United States.