Recently, genome editing of human embryos was reported. Since biotechnology had already enabled researchers to conduct genome editing of embryos from other animals, the ability to do so in humans was long awaited but with anticipated bioethical concerns.

This past February, the UK parliament passed a law permitting mitochondrial replacement, making the UK the first country in the world to approve this technique. Mitochondrial replacement involves removing the nucleus from one egg that contains defective mitochondrial DNA and transferring it into the cytoplasm of another egg from a different woman with normal mitochondrial DNA but with its nucleus removed.