8 babies spared from potentially deadly inherited diseases through new ‘mitochondrial donation’ trial

Mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, contain their own special DNA that gets passed from mother to child — but that DNA can sometimes carry mutations, causing diseases for which there are currently no cures.

Now, in a new clinical trial, eight babies who had a high risk of inheriting such diseases from their moms appear to have been spared, thanks to an emerging technique called “mitochondrial donation.”

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