Using donated mitochondria for IVF treatment should lead to normal pregnancies and healthy babies, British researchers have stated.
The UK has given the go-ahead to develop mitochondrial donation – and researchers in Newcastle, UK, have now tested the technique on 500 eggs.
The technique they use, early pronuclear transfer, involves transplanting nuclear DNA from a fertilised egg into donated egg on the day of transplantation. The donated egg contains healthy mitochondria.
Reporting in Nature, they say that the procedure does not affect embryo development and will "greatly reduce" the levels of faulty mitochondria.
Some 64 women donated eggs for the research, which also involved Oxford University and the Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
The findings are to be considered by the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which will decide whether to issue a licence for the procedure to be used to achieve a live birth.
Researcher Professor Mary Herbert, of Newcastle University, said work is under way to reduce the risk of mitochondrial disease further.
She said: "Having overcome significant technical and biological challenges, we are optimistic that the technique we have developed will offer affected women the possibility of reducing the risk of transmitting mitochondrial DNA disease to their children."
Fellow researcher Professor Doug Turnbull said the results were a "major advance."
He said: "The key message is that we have found no evidence the technique is unsafe. Embryos created by this technique have all the characteristics to lead to a pregnancy.
"Our studies on stem cells do express a cautionary note that it might not be 100% efficient in preventing transmission, but for many women who carry these mutations the risk is far less than conceiving naturally."
L.A. Hyslop et al. Towards clinical application of pronuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA disease Nature 8 June 2016 [abstract]
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