Three-Parent IVF Technique: New Success Story from the UK

On 16th July 2025, scientists reported that eight children in the UK were born free of devastating mitochondrial diseases thanks to a groundbreaking three-person in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique.

Key Points

Three-Parent IVF: Combines nuclear DNA from both parents with healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg to prevent inherited disorders.
Targeted Disorders: Prevents transmission of mitochondrial mutations affecting organs like the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.
Successful Births: Eight children born healthy; one is now 2 years old, and five are infants. All show normal development and low or no mitochondrial mutations.
Technique Explained: Pronuclei from the fertilized mother’s egg and father’s sperm are transferred into a donor fertilized egg with healthy mitochondria.
Genetic Reduction: Blood mtDNA mutation levels were reduced by 95–100% in six babies and 77–88% in two others.
Global First: The UK became the first country in 2015 to legalize mitochondrial donation treatment in humans.
US Ban: The United States continues to prohibit such procedures for humans under current FDA funding restrictions.