Designer baby with 'three parents' & no hereditary diseases ready in three years

Dozens of human embryos with three parents have been created by British scientists, ushering in an era of designer babies. The embryos - which effectively have two mothers and one father - have been genetically engineered to be free from incurable muscle, brain, heart and digestive illnesses, some of which kill within hours of being born. The Newcastle University researchers say that within as little as three years, it could allow women whose families are blighted by disease the chance of bringing a healthy child into the world.
But critics say the breakthrough is a step on the slippery slope towards human cloning and erodes the sanctity of human life. The cutting-edge research centres around mitochondria - sausage-shaped powerhouses inside cells which turn food into energy to be used by the brain and body. Each mitochondrion has is own DNA which gives instructions on how to build and operate the powerpack, or battery, and is passed down from mother to child. Serious defects in this DNA affect one in 6,500 babies and cause around 50 genetic diseases, some of which kill in infancy. With no cure for the conditions, which include some forms of diabetes, blindness and heart problems, women carrying diseased mitochondria often face the heartbreaking choice of whether it would be kinder to remain childless. The scientists have found a way of swopping the diseased DNA with healthy genetic material, creating embryos free of mitochondrial disease.

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