UK became the first country to grant approval for vitro fertilization technique using DNA from three people

UK became the first country in the world to pass legislation granting approval to allow in vitro fertilization technique using DNA from three people. The process requires intervention in the fertilisation process.

The In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technique involves transferring nuclear genetic material from a mother's egg into a donor egg  whose nuclear DNA has been removed. Thus the new embryo contains nuclear DNA from the intended father and mother, as well as healthy mitochondrial DNA from the donor embryo - effectively creating a "three-parent" baby.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, and they contain their own set of DNA with 37 genes. The Mitochondrial DNA is different from nuclear DNA. They don’t carry information about specific traits--all of that information comes from the nucleus. Once a sperm fertilizes an egg, the father's mitochondrion dissolve and the mother’s mitochondrial DNA remain. Despite this, when a mother passes abnormal mitochondrial DNA on to her baby, the child can have problems generating enough energy in his or her cells. Unhealthy mitochondria could lead to deadly mitochondrial diseases such as heart, kidney, and liver failure, as well as muscular dystrophy.