Yesterday the journal Nature published an article that shows the latest developments in attempts to prove how defective DNA in a human egg can be replaced with the equivalent DNA from a healthy egg
It hints at a technique, a therapy, that might prevent women from passing on several rare and potentially deadly disorders to their children, particularly mitochondrial disease. The technique raises many ethical issues and the equivalent research being conducted in the UK by Professor Mary Herbert and Professor Doug Turnbull at Newcastle University is under review by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
For those wanting to know more and reach beyond the media headlines, I recommend the video above and the excellent introduction to Professor Herbert and Professor Turnbull’s work offered in this podcast, presented by the science journalist, Adam Smith.