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As with many breakthrough technologies, there are still questions to answer. There’s evidence that some mitochondria are carried over to the donor egg, resulting in very low levels of DNA faults being detected in some babies. Ongoing monitoring of the children born through mitochondrial donation will be necessary to understand their future health.
But right now, for the families involved, this is life changing.
“As parents, all we ever wanted was to give our child a healthy start in life,” says the mother of a baby girl born following mitochondrial donation.
“After years of uncertainty this treatment gave us hope – and then it gave us our baby. We look at them now, full of life and possibility, and we’re overwhelmed with gratitude. Science gave us a chance.”
For the wider world, this is a glimpse of what’s possible when science, policy and lived experience come together.
“This is a remarkable scientific achievement, which has been years in the making and we are overjoyed for the families of the eight children born so far,” says Beth Thompson, Executive Director for Policy & Partnerships at Wellcome.
“The UK has led the way and has demonstrated the importance of science grounded in close and careful co-ordination between researchers, funders and regulators – and, very importantly, working closely with families affected.
“As the science progresses, we will continue championing brave investment in science and for policy and regulation to keep pace. The success of this research should inspire us to move forward on other updates, opening the way for further innovation."
