Parliament should approve regulations for mitochondrial donation
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Version 0 of 1. Mitochondrial diseases are devastating inherited conditions that can lead to serious disability and death. They are passed from mothers to children, often striking at a very young age, and are caused by faulty mitochondria – the “batteries” that provide cells with energy. These diseases cannot usually be treated or prevented. New IVF techniques, collectively known as mitochondrial donation, offer some affected families the opportunity to have healthy children. The UK hosts a world-class team at Newcastle University developing this technology, which is ideally placed to be among the first to treat patients. British law, however, does not currently permit its use. Since 2007, the UK has run an exemplary and internationally admired process for considering benefits, risks, ethical issues and public consent, which must properly precede a change in the law. This has revealed broad public, ethical and scientific support for approving mitochondrial donation, so that the fertility regulator can license clinical use when there is sufficient evidence it is safe enough to proceed. Related: UK urged to permit IVF procedure to prevent fatal genetic diseases As experts in this field, we consider the UK’s system for regulating advances in reproductive medicine to be among the world’s best. This benefits patients, science and society, by enabling medical progress with appropriate consideration of risk and public opinion. We therefore hope that parliament will approve the government’s proposed regulations for mitochondrial donation. A positive vote would not only allow affected families to choose to use this new procedure under the care of the globally respected Newcastle team, with proper advice and safeguards; it would also be an international demonstration of how good regulation helps medical science to advance in step with wider society.Professor John Carroll Professor of reproductive biology, Monash University, AustraliaProf John Christodoulou Chair of the Australian mitochondrial disease foundation and Western Sydney genetics programme head, AustraliaDieter Egli Assistant professor of development cell biology, New York, USA; and senior research fellow at the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research InstituteAdam Eyre Walker Professor of evolutionary biology, SussexProfessor Frances Flinter Consultant in clinical genetics, Guy’s and St Thomas’ HospitalProfessor John Gearhart Institute for regenerative medicine, Philadelphia. Member of the FDA advisory committeeProfessor Susan Golombok Director, Centre of Family Research, CambridgeProfessor Michael Hanna Consultant neurologist; director, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, LondonDr Stephen Harbottle Chair, Association of Clinical Embryologists, CambridgeJohn Harris Professor of Bioethics, ManchesterOuti Hovatta Professor in obstetrics and gynaecology, StockholmHoward Jacobs Professor of mitochondrial genetics and molecular biology, Tampere, FinlandMartin Johnson Emeritus professor of reproductive sciences, CambridgeProfessor Richard Kennedy President-elect, International Federation of Fertility Societies and executive director, women and children’s services, AustraliaThomas Klopstock Professor of neurology and speaker of mitoNET, GermanyNils Goran Larsson Managing director, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and professor of mitochondrial genetics, CologneShoukhrat Mitalipov Director, Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, OregonProfessor Carlos Moraes Department of neurology and cell biology and anatomy, Miami. Sat on FDA committeeGail Norbury Chair for genetics and reproductive sciences, LondonGuido Pennings Professor of ethics and bioethics, BelgiumAlexandre Quintanilha Worked on mitochondrial bioenergetics, PortugalMike Ryan President Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MelbourneMark Sauer Professor of obstetrics and gynaecology; vice-chairman Ob&Gyn chief, New YorkJulian Savulescu Director, Oxford Centre for NeuroethicsRandy Schekman Nobel prize, physiology of medicine 2013, Berkeley, CaliforniaSonja Schrepfer Professor of transplant and stem cell immunobiology, HamburgHongying Sha Professor, department of neurobiology, ChinaJoe Leigh Simpson President, International Federation of Fertility Societies, USAHJM Smeets Professor of clinical genomics, NetherlandsJan Smeitink Chairmen, Nijmegen Centre for Mito Disorders, NetherlandsEvan Snyder Former chair, FDA committee; director, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, SanfordJulie Steffan Genetics of Mito disorders, ParisCarolyn Sue Professor and director of neurogenetics, SydneySeang Lin Tan Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, CanadaAtsushi Tanaka Director, Saint Mother Obs and Gynae clinic and institute for ART, JapanDavid Thorburn Director, genetics research theme and head of mitochondrial research, MelbourneAnna Veiga Scientific director of reproductive service, BarcelonaAnu Suolmalainen Wartiovaara Professor of clinical molecular medicine, HelsinkiDagan Wells Associate professor, Nuffield department of obstetrics and gynaecology, OxfordMassimo Zeviani Director MRC mitochondrial biology unit, Cambridge |