Scientists rethinking 'three-parent IVF' over ethics and safety issues | STAT (opens in a new tab)

statnews.com · 2026-11-03

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Scientists rethinking 'three-parent IVF' over ethics and safety issues | STAT

statnews.com · 2026-11-03

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Claim 1 of 4Not checkedLast year, the U.K. reported that eight healthy children had been born to mothers carrying disease-causing mitochondrial mutations, suggesting mitochondrial replacement techniques could reduce the risk of babies inheriting sometimes fatal diseases.View evidenceHide evidence

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Claim 2 of 4Not checkedThe article reports that emerging data from the U.K. and several small pilot studies from fertility clinics elsewhere are raising questions about whether preventing mitochondrial disease is the best first use of MRT, amid safety and ethics concerns.View evidenceHide evidence

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Claim 3 of 4Not checkedThe article says the long-anticipated results seemed to show that mitochondrial replacement techniques, or MRT, could reduce the risk of inherited mitochondrial disease and raise hopes that countries such as the U.S., where MRT is banned, might eventually permit it.View evidenceHide evidence

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Claim 4 of 4Not checkedBert Smeets is quoted as saying the public may think MRT is very safe and low risk, but that is not necessarily the case.View evidenceHide evidence

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