Britain has become the first country to formally licence an advanced form of IVF treatment designed to create babies from three people.<br /><br /> In a long-awaited decision, Britain’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) gave the final go-ahead for the controversial treatment known as mitochondrial transfer, which doctors say could help prevent children being born with deadly genetic diseases.<br /><br /> The treatment is known as “three-parent” IVF because the babies, born from genetically modified embryos, have DNA from a mother, a father and from another female donor.<br /><br /> By using a donor egg and the mother’s egg the technique replaces abnormal genes passed on by the mother. <br /><br /> The ultimate goal is to prevent incurable mitochondrial diseases, which can leave patients with insufficient energy to keep their heart beating. <br /><br /> Hanah Smith, a prospective mother said: “It’s absolutely amazing, it’s such a relief, and it’s going to give hope to so many women in my situation, that we can have a family, but our babies are going to be healthy and not going to have to carry the burden of mitochondrial disease.”<br /><br /> Scientists at the University of Newcastle, which has pioneered the therapy, say they already have women lined up to receive it. The team aims to help 25 couples every year.<br /><br /> Mary Herbert, Professor of Reproductive Biology at Newcastle University said: “We got our first research license in 2005, and we’ve been working very hard since then really, to optimize a technique we’ve been working on to get it to a stage where we’ll be likely to achieve a pregnancy and to prevent transmission of disease.”<br /><br /> Three parent babies: IVF clinics told they can create children with two mothers https://t.co/Atf4E4Zwz6 via TelegraphSci #BadIdea— Grant Weinhaus (GWeinhaus) December 15, 2016<br />
