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Refined ‘three-parent-baby’ procedure improves chances for healthy infant

Transferring cell nuclei hours after fertilization reduces risk of passing on faulty mitochondria

egg

REPLACEMENT REFINED  Researchers have improved a technique that transfers pronuclei (round craters, center) from an egg with diseased mitochondria to a donor egg with healthy mitochondria. 

L.A. Hyslop et al/Nature 2016

By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

Improvements in a technique for making “three-parent babies” could reduce the risk of passing on faulty mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles in cells.