THE research institute which funded North-East scientists pioneering development of treatment for serious inherited disease has challenged Church of England claims there has been insufficient scientific study into the technique.

The intervention by Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, ahead of next Tuesdays free vote by MPs to change the law to allow so-called three-parent IVF treatment follows an appeal from the Bishops Conference of England to Wales to excercise caution.

Bishop John Sherrington said: No other country has allowed this procedure and the international scientific community is not convinced that the procedure is safe and effective.

But Dr Farrar, whose organisation has funded the Newcastle University team which developed the worlds first genetic treatment for carriers of mitochondrial diseases said: Mitochondrial donation raises important ethical questions on which the Church of England can be expected to take a view.

"But it is remarkable that the Church has pronounced that there has been insufficient scientific study without first asking the Newcastle University scientists who lead this research, the families who stand to benefit, or the Wellcome Trust, which funds it, to explain the science to the Archbishops Council.

The Church appears to have ignored the unprecedented independent scrutiny of scientific, ethical and public opinion about mitochondrial donation conducted over the last seven years. All these reviews, conducted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, have revealed broad support, which is why the Government has proposed regulations that would allow families affected by devastating mitochondrial diseases to benefit.

In mitochondrial transplant, the nucleus is removed from the donor egg and replaced with a fertilised nucleus. This new fertilised egg contains the DNA of the father and mother and the mitochondria from the donor.

The aim is to produce a healthy baby without mitochondrial diseases - which can be devastating, affecting major organs and causing symptoms ranging from poor vision to diabetes and muscle wasting.

The technique was developed by Professor Doug Turnbull and Professor Mary Herbert of Newcastle University.

In his statement Bishop Sherrington said: There are serious ethical objections to this procedure which involves the destruction of human embryos as part of the process. The human embryo is a new human life, and it should be respected and protected from the moment of conception. This is a very serious step which Parliament should not rush into taking.

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Bishops challenged over 'three-parent' IVF comments