MITOCHONDRIAL REPLACEMENT TECHNIQUE IN ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY: CURRENT INTERNATIONAL PROGRESS AND MOROCCAN REGULATIONS

Following the controversial use of the mitochondrial replacement technique in IVF procedures to prevent the transmission of potentially incurable and fatal inherited mitochondrial disorders, various ethical and safety concerns and regulatory issues were raised in the medical community. The diseases in question affect mitochondria, and are only inherited from the mother [9], patients with more than 60% mutated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may develop severe systemic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, blindness, deafness, liver failure, infertility, neuropathy,  myopathy, cardiomyopathy, sensory deficit and many others [1, 2, 3]. The incidence of clinically present mtDNA disorders is at least 1 in 10 000 individuals, but the frequency of the pathogenic mtDNA mutation is approximately 1 in 200 of the general population [4] . Currently there is no effective therapy or genetic screens for these maternally inherited diseases, and at present, the mitochondrial replacement technique (MRT) holds promises for human reproductive health and the production of healthy babies. This article will discuss some objections that oppose the procedure in principle and present a perspective surrounding the legalization of these techniques in Morocco.