MEMBERS of the public are being asked for their verdict on allowing the creation of IVF babies with three genetic parents.
What they say could pave the way to a landmark change in the law as early as next year that would affect future generations.
The controversy surrounds “uncharted territory” techniques aimed at preventing a special category of diseases caused by inherited genes.
They involve children being conceived with the help of a third genetic “parent”: a woman whose donated egg provides a source of replacement healthy DNA. A baby created this way would have a full compliment of nuclear DNA from its mother and father, plus a tiny amount of donated mitochondrial DNA.
Mitochondria are rod-like bodies in the cell which act as powerhouses, supplying energy. They have their own set of genes, separate from those in the cell nucleus, which are only passed on by mothers.
Defects in mitochondrial DNA give rise to a range of serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, including a form of muscular dystrophy and conditions leading to the loss of hearing and vision, heart problems and intestinal disorders.
The new mitochondrial replacement treatments would remove the damaged DNA, thereby breaking the generational chain of disease. But they are banned because any tampering with inherited genetic material in clinics is illegal.
Regulators have now launched a large-scale public consultation exercise aimed at canvassing the opinions of ordinary people rather than experts. It runs until 7 December, with a report being submitted to the government next spring. A change in the law voted in by parliament could quickly follow.
Professor Lisa Jardine, who chairs the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said: “The government has asked us to take the public temperature of this important and emotive issue. The decision about whether mitochondria replacement should be made available to treat patients is not only an issue of great importance to families affected by these terrible diseases, but is also one of enormous public interest.
“We find ourselves in uncharted territory, balancing the desire to help families have healthy children with the possible impact on the children themselves and wider society.”
She recalled public attitudes to the birth of the first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978.
“A lot of people thought she was going to be a monster, and the idea of what would happen if you allowed conception outside the womb was seen as absolutely appalling. Those uncharted waters are now charted waters. We’ve moved from uncharted territory to routine.” Prof Jardine added: “Here, we are going that mile further which is a genetic modification of the egg. That is uncharted territory.”