What is the treatment for mitochondrial donation? The one-of-a-kind method for curing fatal diseases in the womb
Mitochondrial Donation Treatment, or MDT, is a method in which a child is created through IVF using the mitochondrial material of a donor instead of the genetic material of the parents.
A rare procedure in which three people's DNA was used to create a baby was recently carried out in the United Kingdom. In rare instances, in vitro fertilization (IVF) was used to prevent the transmission of life-threatening diseases to the child.
Mitochondrial Donation Treatment, or MDT, is a method in which a child is created from IVF using the mitochondrial material of a donor and the genetic material of the parents. The mitochondria, which are found in a cell's nucleus, produce material for mitochondria.
"The genetic material from both of our parents can be found in our cells' nucleus. The mitochondria, the cell's powerhouse, are an additional structure that we only inherit from our mother. It mutates due to its own DNA structure. According to Dr. Astha Dayal, lead consultant, obstetrics and gynecology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, "if there is a mutation of that DNA, there can be life-threatening problems like epilepsy, stroke-like problems, and other diseases that can affect the organs."
Dr. Ravinder Kaur Khurana, Sr. claims "MDT is an artificial technique of reproduction in which the diseased mitochondria are replaced by healthy mitochondria in order to avoid the transmission of mitochondrial diseases from the mother to the offspring," says Consultant & Head, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Metro Hospital, Faridabad. "If a woman wants to have a child with her own genetic features and has a mitochondrial DNA mutation, she can do so through in vitro fertilization (IVF) by taking mitochondrial DNA from another woman.
The donor's cell material is taken in this process, but the biological mother and father's genes or nuclear material are taken.
According to Dr. Astha Dayal, "The child born will have the genetic material of the parents, but the donor will provide the mitochondrial material."
Dr. Khurana, however, stated that this method is still in the experimental stage. She went on to say that, in the past, mitochondrial diseases were removed through a genetic procedure performed before conception, but MDT is a more improvised method.
"An ever-increasing number of cases will be managed from here on out, and we will get to know how the child creates. A couple of tests are finished in the pre-birth stage when the mother gets pregnant. On the off chance that required, a technique called an amniotic conelike sampler is directed to preclude any acquired issues," said Dr. Khurana.
Dr. Dayal says that the pronuclear transfer technique or the maternal spindle transfer technique is often used.
While cases of the MDT procedure have been reported in the United Kingdom and the United States, India has not yet done so.
"The situation in India is that none of the cases have been completed up to this point because it will take some time because it is still in the experimental stage. "It will be carried out in a proper manner by health professionals once it is approved by the IVF societies and the government of India," Dr. Khurana stated.
"These are brand-new methods that raise numerous social, legal, and ethical concerns. In India, it has not yet begun. Dr. Dayal stated, "It's a new research method that hasn't been approved in many countries either."