Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy, a ground-breaking technique that uses genetic material from three different people to prevent certain inherited -- and hitherto untreatable -- genetic diseases from passing from the mother to her offspring, received a resounding mandate on Tursday in the House of Commons.

Parliament voted 382 to 128 for an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, 2008, which will clear the path for licenses to be given to clinics to perform the procedure.

First country to approve this

Britain thus becomes the first country in the world to approve such a procedure, considered the only hope for women who carry defective mitochondria to have healthy children. It puts to rest a controversy that was opposed by the Church and faith groups for its potential to create three-parent designer babies.

The issue was sharply debated in the House, on grounds of ethics, medical safety, and regulatory parametres. Members voted according to conscience. The motion was moved by Jane Ellison, health minister, who said that the technique allows women with mitochondrial disorder to avert the “devastating and often fatal consequences” of the disease when passed on to their children.

The technique involves an IVF procedure in which the egg's defective mitochondrial DNA is replaced with healthy DNA from a female donor.

Countering criticism of the technique as a form of genetic modification and a leap into the unknown, the Minister said that mitochondrial DNA is made up of 0.054 per cent of a person’s overall DNA and had none of the nuclear DNA that determined personal characteristics and traits.

Professor Doug Turnbull, who led the team that developed the technique at the University of Newcastle said he was “delighted” with the vote, adding “I’m told it’s unusual to hear a genuine spontaneous whoop of joy from the public gallery when something’s voted through. That reflects how much this means for the patients.” (EOM)