LONDON
Britain has become the first nation to allow the creation of babies using the DNA from three different people following approval of an amendment to existing legislation in the House of Lords.
The motion, which sparked a debate in the House of Commons on Feb. 3, gained favor from 382 lawmakers with 128 voting against on Tuesday evening.
Health professionals and religious groups have expressed concerns about both the ethical implications and safety of the technique, which aims to prevent the transfer of fatal mitochondrial disease from mother to baby, which can lead to liver failure, brain disorders, blindness, heart problems and muscular dystrophy.
Fatal condition
The proposed amendment to the U.K.'s current IVF law enables the eradication of hereditary defects by replacing defective DNA with a healthy material from a female donor, meaning the embryo created using the technique would carry DNA from three different people - the two parents and a donor.
In the case of a fault being found in the mother's mitochondria, healthy mithocondria is taken from a donor female and applied through vitro fertilization (IVF) using the DNA of the two women and a male.
Fatal mitochondria takes place in cells which need high energy, such as muscle and nerve cells.
There is no cure for the condition.
