Church warns against law change on use of triple DNA

A leading Church of England figure has said changing the law to allow IVF babies to be born with DNA from three different people would not be “responsible”, according to reports.

British MPs are to debate the controversial issue of mitochondrial donation in the Commons next Tuesday, with experts welcoming the move, which could result in the UK becoming the first country in the world to approve the treatments.

The treatments seek to replace defective mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) in a birth mother’s egg with healthy mDNA from another woman in order to limit hereditary mitochondrial diseases, and new research has suggested it could potentially help almost 2,500 women of reproductive age in the UK.