Mitochondrial Donation: Does It Work? What Next?

This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses the use of mitochondrial donation to avoid mitochondrial disease, with speakers including two of the pioneers whose work has resulted in the birth of eight UK babies with donated mitochondria.

The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:

⚫ Professor Mary Herbert (pioneer of mitochondrial donation, and lead author of the first study reporting embryological and reproductive aspects of the use of mitochondrial donation in treatment in the UK)

⚫ Professor Sir Doug Turnbull (pioneer of mitochondrial donation, and lead author of the first study reporting maternal and child health outcomes following the use of mitochondrial donation treatment in the UK)

⚫ Liz Curtis (established the Lily Foundation after losing her daughter to mitochondrial disease)

⚫ Professor Catherine Mills (Patient and Community Engagement Lead at the mitoHOPE pilot programme for mitochondrial donation in Australia)

At least eight children with donated mitochondria have been born in the UK. All of the children are reported to have made normal developmental progress, and none of them show any sign of mitochondrial disease.

The announcement of this news came 10 years after a successful campaign – by PET, the Lily Foundation and others – to change UK law, in order to permit the use of mitochondrial donation to avoid transmission of mitochondrial disease from mother to child.

A similarly successful campaign in Australia has led to the introduction of Maeve's Law, named in honour of a young Australian girl who has mitochondrial disease. As in the UK, the Australian legislation permits the carefully regulated use of mitochondrial donation in treatment.

In this podcast pioneers, experts and advocates at the forefront of mitochondrial donation explain what has been achieved to date, and discuss what should happen next.

PET is grateful to the Adelphi Genetics Forum, the British Fertility Society, CooperSurgical and the Senior Infertility Nurse Group for supporting this discussion.

PET is also grateful to Jon Nicoll, who created the opening and closing music for its podcast.

Register at https://www.progress.org.uk/events/upcoming-events/ for upcoming PET events.