Making the case for lifting the US ban on 3-parent babies

A Greek woman with a history of multiple in vitro fertilization failures gave birth to a healthy baby with DNA from three biological parents. It was the first successful birth in a clinical trial of a controversial fertility treatment known as mitochondrial replacement therapy, which combines genetic material from the intended mother and father plus a female donor.

In the U.S., the procedure is effectively banned because of a congressional amendment passed in 2015 that’s been renewed every year since. But now, a group of scientists, patient advocates, and bioethicists want to see the prohibition lifted. The technique, they say, could help certain women who are carriers of serious genetic diseases have healthy, biologically related children.

In the first of a series of meetings meant to draft policy recommendations to Congress, stakeholders will meet [April 17] at Harvard Law School to discuss how to move forward in the U.S.

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[Organizer Glenn Cohen] said there are several ways to try to make mitochondrial replacement therapy legal in the U.S. Congress could change the language of the amendment, which has to be voted on each year, or the Food and Drug Administration could change the way it interprets it.

Read full, original post: Patient advocates and scientists launch push to lift ban on ‘three-parent IVF’