August 16, 2022

expert reaction to study on safety of pre-fertilisation DNA transfer to avoid mitochondrial disease

A study published in PLOS Biology looks at the safety of spindle transfer for preventing transfer of mitochondrial mutations from mother to the embryo.

Prof Dusko Ilic, Professor of Stem Cell Science, King’s College London, said:

“There is nothing surprising here. This study only further confirms that the spindle transfer is a safe technique for preventing transfer of mitochondrial mutations from mother to the embryo/child. The method has already been used in the clinic (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2017.01.013).”

‘Single-cell multiomics analyses of spindle transferred human embryos suggest a mostly normal embryonic development’ by Shuyue Qi et al. was published in PLOS Biology at 19:00 UK time on Tuesday 16^th August.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001741

Declared interests

Prof Dusko Ilic: “I declare no conflict of interest.”