First Baby Born With Dna From 3 Parents

First Baby Born With DNA from 3 Parents Summary: A now 5 month old baby boy is the first worldwide to be born using a controversial technique that combines DNA from three people, two women and a man. As reported Tuesday by New Scientist magazine, the... More

First Baby Born With DNA from 3 Parents Summary: A now 5 month old baby boy is the first worldwide to be born using a controversial technique that combines DNA from three people, two women and a man. As reported Tuesday by New Scientist magazine, the technique is designed to help couples who carry rare genetic mutations have healthy children. It has only been legally approved for use in the United Kingdom. Text commentary: The boy was born to a Jordanian couple in which the woman carries genes for Leigh syndrome, a lethal nervous system disorder. The DNA for the illness resides in the cell's energy source, the mitochondria. Mitochondrial DNA is only passed down to children via mothers. The woman was healthy but had already had two children who later died of Leigh syndrome. So, the couple turned to a team led by Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center, in New York City. Zhang had long been working on a "three-parent" method of conception called "spindle nuclear transfer." In this me Less