Proponents of this technique claim that could avoid some of the cases of fatal diseases caused by the presence of faults in the DNA. But critics believe it may be the start of a domino effect towards genetic modification resulting in the creation of babies "on demand".

One in 6,500 babies have defective mitochondria (the energy producing centers within cells), which can cause muscle weakness, blindness, heart problems and even death. Because mitochondria have their own DNA, separate from the cell, researchers can take DNA from the mother and father, put in a cell with genetic material from a third person: healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor.

The University of Newcastle in England is a pioneer in research on in vitro fertilization of three people, and it is expected that the British Parliament approved the rules for the application of this technique in 2014. Britain will be the first country to approve this controversial method, reports the BBC.

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