Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Breakthrough in editing mitochondrial disease DNA

Scientists have discovered a way to prevent human mitochondrial diseases from being passed down in mice. Mitochondrial DNA is passed only passed down from the mother.  When large amounts of this DNA is mutated, this is when mitochondrial disease occurs. some examples of mitochondrial DNA include dementia, diabetes and heart failure. By using a new technique called mitochondrial replacement therapy, mutated mitochondria are replaced with healthy donor mitochondria.  This technique has been successfully carried out in mice but scientists say more testing needs to be done before it can safely carried out in humans

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