A leap of faith? An interview study with professionals on the use of mitochondrial replacement to avoid transfer of mitochondrial diseases

Human Reproduction
Kristien HensGuido de Wert

Abstract

What are the opinions of professionals in the field of genetics, reproductive science and metabolic diseases on the development of mitochondrial replacement technologies to be used in the context of medically assisted reproduction? Although concerns regarding safety remain, interviewees supported the development of nuclear transfer techniques to help women who are at risk of transferring a mitochondrial DNA disease to their offspring conceive a genetically related child. Technological developments in the field of nuclear transfer have sparked new interest in the debate on the acceptability of the use of donor oocytes to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases. For example, in the UK, extensive public consultations have been done to investigate whether such techniques would allow the passing of a law that involves making changes to a human oocyte or embryo before transfer to a woman's body. Until now, continental European countries seem to await the outcome of the British debate before themselves considering the arguments for and against this technology. We interviewed 12 professionals from Belgium and The Netherlands. We conducted 12 interviews with fertility specialists, scientists, clinical geneticists, a pediatric...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Sep 16, 2016·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Joris Robert VermeeschKoenraad Devriendt
Aug 21, 2019·The New Bioethics : a Multidisciplinary Journal of Biotechnology and the Body·Tetsuya Ishii
Jun 2, 2015·Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics·Karen WouJoe Leigh Simpson
Sep 25, 2017·Human Reproduction·S HendriksE A F Dancet
Jan 21, 2021·Journal of Genetic Counseling·Anjali AryamvallyJulianne E Hartmann

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