This week a group of researchers in Oregon announced that they have created monkey embryoes that have the DNA of “one” monkey mother and the mitochondrial DNA of a “second” monkey mother…..These same researchers have also experimented with human eggs that carried disease causing mtDNA (the technical term for mitochondrial DNA) and did have embryoes formed this way. They then turned these into a stem cell line in order to watch it’s progress. While in the early stages of research, it will bring hope to many women who dispaired of ever using their own chromosomes to create a healthy child without mitochondrial disease hanging over their head.
What are the implications for donor egg? Only time will tell. Read more about the research at http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-heb-gene-therapy-mitochondrial-dna-20121024,0,2339495.story
Tags: donor egg, Mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA