Embryo research raised in Lords
Date released 7 February 2008
Research into hereditary diseases has been raised in Parliament and attracted international media attention.
Research by a Newcastle team which could eradicate many hereditary diseases has been raised in the House of Lords and attracted world-wide media attention.
The debate on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill referred to work by Professors Doug Turnbull and Patrick Chinnery on mitochondria and a method of replacing “faulty” mitochondria with “healthy” mitochondria in an embryo – a technique referred to in the media as having “three parents”.
Mitochondria are the engines of the cell which convert food into energy and the work of the Newcastle team involves replacing faulty mitochondria with healthy mitochondria. Mitochondrial disorders are diseases inherited through the mother and include liver failure, epilepsy, deafness, muscle weakness and diabetes.
In Parliament, Lord Walton of Detchant talked about how the Newcastle team had created embryos using DNA from a man and two women in lab tests which could ensure women with genetic defects do not pass the diseases on to their children.
Picked up on the front page of the Telegraph newspaper, the story led to huge media interest worldwide.
In the research, the nucleus containing DNA from the mother and father was removed from the embryo and implanted into a donor egg whose nucleus had been removed but which contains healthy mitochondria. The embryos then began to develop normally, but were destroyed within six days.
The team only have permission to carry out research and as yet this would not be allowed to be offered as a treatment.
Lord Walton tabled an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill on Monday that would allow the treatment to be used simply by seeking the approval of the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) rather than going to Parliament. Although it was rejected, the Government has agreed to debate the issue soon.
Web links to media coverage:
Embryo with three parents is created, The Telegraph
Three parent embryo formed in lab, BBC online