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www.npr.org_research-news 2015 000040.txt

#'3-Parent Baby'Law Moves Forward In Britain Britain is on track to become the first country in the world to legalize a controversial procedure that uses DNA from three people to produce an embryo as a way to cut out inherited DNA that can cause serious health problems in children. The House of commons voted to approve the Human Fertilization and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 after a contentious debate in which MP Fiona Bruce called for drawing a red line to prevent a practice that she said has not been tested sufficiently. Other opponents said legalizing the method could lead to a new era of modifying the human germline. But backers of the measure disagreed saying the debate was similar to one surrounding in vitro fertilization in the 1970s when Britain announced the birth of the world's first human test-tube baby. As in that case the proponents said the risks and potential benefits are to be undertaken only by the parents. While the in vitro technique is referred often to by the shorthand three-parent baby the process uses the nuclear DNA from two parents and the MITOCHONDRIAL DNA of a third donor. The british bill would take effect on Oct 29. Update at 9: 45 a m. ET: House of commons Approves Measurewe've updated our post to reflect the news. Our original post continues: From London Larry Miller reports for NPR's Newscast unit: The british government has been reviewing the process of oocyte modification or three-parent IVF for a while now; last summer a health agency found no reasons to think it would be unsafe. But the proposal has led to ethical debates and stoked concerns about setting a new precedent for genetic manipulation. In Britain the legislation known as the Human Fertilization and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 is seen as having a good chance at being approved. The government backs the measure in principle the BBC reports. However MPS will be given a free vote as it is an issue of conscience rather than being forced down party lines. The news organization spoke to a young woman who was born with the help of three-parent IVF. Teenager Alana Saarinen tells the BBC that she takes after her mother and father. I also have DNA from a third lady Saarinen adds. But I wouldn't consider her a third parent I just have some of her mitochondria. U s. agencies including the Food and Drug Administration have also been looking into the process. The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation estimates that from 1000 to 4000 American children are born each year with a mitochondrial disease e

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