Science Takes A Bold Leap With Three-Parent Babies. Is India Ready For It?
Mitochondrial replacement therapy, a breakthrough IVF-based technique, gives families with a history of mitochondrial disorders a chance to have healthy biological children
A quiet but extraordinary medical milestone was reached in the UK recently where eight babies have been born free of fatal inherited conditions, thanks to a technique that uses DNA from three different people.
The births were the result of mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT), a breakthrough IVF-based technique that gives families with a history of mitochondrial disorders a chance to have healthy biological children. In simple words, these disorders, which affect the energy-producing units in cells, can lead to unfortunate medical consequences like seizures, brain damage, deafness, blindness, and even early death.
With eight children now living examples of this breakthrough, the world is at a scientific and ethical crossroads. While science is fascinating, it is complex as well and, in this case, involves cultural implications—especially for a country like India.
How Do Three People Make A Baby?
Let's unpack how these so-called 'three-parent" babies are created.
Mitochondrial DNA makes up a tiny fraction—about 0.1 per cent—of our total genetic code, but it plays an outsized role in powering organs such as the brain and heart. In MRT, a fertilised embryo created from the biological parents' egg and sperm is transplanted into a healthy donor egg from which the nucleus has been removed. The nucleus, carrying the intended parents' genetic material, is inserted into the donor egg, which contains healthy mitochondria.
The resulting embryo thus carries nuclear DNA from the mother and father and mitochondrial DNA from the donor—three sources, one baby.
As Dr Sonu Taxak, fertility & IVF specialist at Yellow Fertility Centre, explains, 'the baby carries DNA from three people—nuclear DNA from both biological parents and a small amount (less than 1 per cent) of mitochondrial DNA from the donor. 'However, this doesn't affect the baby's traits or appearance."
This technique holds tremendous value for women carrying mitochondrial mutations who fear passing on debilitating or fatal disorders. Until now, they had no preventive options.
Taxak calls it a 'revolutionary option" for women who carry mitochondrial mutations but still wish to have genetically related children without passing on the condition.
Dr Asmita Mahajan, consultant neonatologist and paediatrician at SL Raheja Hospital, told News18 that 'the technology is intended for children at high risk of inherited mitochondrial diseases, which can affect vital organs like heart, brain and so on, causing seizures, developmental delay, blindness, deafness, etc".
Unlike gene editing, MRT does not manipulate traits like appearance or intelligence. It doesn't touch nuclear DNA, where such characteristics reside.
Dr Sanjeev Galande, dean, School of Natural Sciences at Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, sees this as a milestone in embryo manipulation. 'This marks a significant advancement in the field of genetic manipulation of embryos, distinct from traditional gene therapies that involve directly editing DNA… MRT presents a novel and seemingly safer alternative."
Risks & Potential
Like any emerging medical technique, MRT comes with uncertainties. For example, only 8 of 22 embryos treated in the UK resulted in live births—a reminder that success rates are still evolving.
Dr Galande, who is also an internationally recognised molecular biologist and founding director of the Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics at IISER Pune, elaborated further: 'Initial failure rates can be high… However, with continued refinement and deeper understanding of the underlying biological processes, success rates are expected to improve."
Mahajan from SL Raheja cautions that long-term risks are yet to be fully understood. 'The technology is still new, and long-term risks, such as autism or diabetes, are being debated."
Yet, for families facing the certainty of passing on a fatal condition, the risk of inaction often outweighs that of experimental hope.
Can India Catch Up?
India's top IVF centres have the medical expertise to replicate MRT. But that alone won't be enough.
Dr Galande believes 'India currently lacks the necessary regulatory and ethical frameworks for MRT. New guidelines and legislation would need to be developed".
Dr Kshitija Patil, consultant clinical geneticist, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai, agrees. 'India's ART and surrogacy laws do not cover germline modifications, and without updated guidelines from agencies like ICMR or DBT, clinical application remains a distant goal."
Similarly, Taxak also highlights the urgency of tracking this globally. 'With a large population and rising awareness around genetic disorders, India should closely track such innovations. This could shape future fertility treatments, policy frameworks, and prenatal care standards."
Ethics, Identity & Cultural Concerns
The idea of a baby carrying DNA from three individuals—however minimal—challenges traditional notions of lineage, identity, and parenthood. In a country like India, where genetics and heritage carry cultural weight, such interventions may face resistance.
Yet, mitochondrial donation doesn't alter appearance or personality; it prevents suffering. The ethical debate should not be about the number of genetic contributors, but about the intent — to give a child a healthy start in life.
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July 21, 2025, 13:03 IST
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