RESEARCHERS have calculated that a controversial ‘three parent IVF’ treatment developed in Newcastle could prevent thousands of women from passing on a life-threatening condition to their children.

The research by the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrian Research at Newcastle University estimated that nearly 2,500 women of child-bearing age in the UK are at risk of transmitting mitochondrial disease to their children.

The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicates how many families could potentially be helped by new IVF techniques to prevent mitochondrial disease.

MPs are soon expected to be given a vote on whether the treatment can go-ahead

Mitochondrial diseases are caused by inherited mutations in the DNA contained in mitochondria – tiny structures present in every cell that generate energy. Mitochondrial diseases can be devastating and particularly affect tissues that have high energy demands – brain, muscle, liver and kidney.

Known as ‘mitochondrial donation’ the new technique involves removing faulty mitochondria inherited from the mother and replacing them with the healthy mitochondria of another woman. The nuclear DNA, containing 99.9 per cent of genetic material from the mother and father, remains unchanged.

The Newcastle researchers, including Professor Doug Turnbull, have calculated that 2,473 women in the UK, and 12,423 women in the US, aged between 15 and 44 years, are at risk of passing on potentially lethal mitochondrial DNA disease to their children.

Researchers need more egg donors to come forward to enable work to continue.

Professor Mary Herbert, scientific director at Newcastle Fertility Centre at Life, said: “Progress towards using the new techniques is entirely dependent on a supply of donated eggs. We would like to express our gratitude to all the women who have already donated eggs to the project and are very keen to encourage others who may be interested to go to www.ncl.ac.uk/eggdonate “