Mitochondrial Donation: A New Solution for Infertility in the Reproductive Bioeconomy?

• In Event: The New Bioeconomy in Eggs: Innovations, Interruptions and Regenerations in the Management of Human Oocytes

Abstract

Initially defined as high-profile germline techniques strictly limited to medical use for severe conditions, mitochondrial donation is now being proposed as a new option to treat infertility. The technologies, commonly referred to as ‘three-parent’ IVF as they involve using the mitochondrial DNA from an egg donor, have been offered to infertile women in countries where these interventions are currently unregulated. After the announcement of several pregnancies in Ukraine, a woman with a history of failed IVF cycles was recently reported to be pregnant following mitochondrial donation in a trial taking place in Greece. Could these cases foresee the acceptance and practice of ‘minor’ germline modifications in a number of countries? To what extent could mitochondrial donation constitute a radical way of overcoming infertility? This paper will address these questions and discuss the potential social, ethical and legal implications of the expansion of mitochondrial donation, in particular in relation to egg donation. Besides generating new cross-border reproductive routes towards particular countries, this novel use of mitochondrial donation, if proved to be successful, is likely to diversify the reproductive bio-economy in novel ways by increasing demand for eggs as source of ‘good’ mitochondria. Simultaneously, while enabling the transmission of the maternal nuclear DNA, mitochondrial donation could reduce traditional egg donation by constituting a more attractive alternative.

Authors

• Cathy Herbrand, De Montfort University

• Nicky Hudson, De Montfort University