Britain's fertility regulator on Thursday granted doctors the first UK license to create babies using a three-parent IVF technique designed to prevent inherited genetic diseases. The technique is known as "three-parent" IVF, because the babies would have DNA from a mother, a father, plus another female donor. The license, granted to a team of doctors in Newcastle, northern England, means the first child created in Britain using the mitochondrial pronuclear transfer technique could be born before the end of this year. Critics of the treatment say it is a dangerous step that will lead to the creation of genetically modified "designer babies". While Britain has been at the forefront of scientific advances and ethical debate about pro-nuclear transfer techniques, it will not be the first country in the world to have children born using 3-parent IVF treatment.

Source: Egypt Independent March 16, 2017 14:26 UTC