PRESS RELEASE Athens, 14 November 2019

Second baby born using Maternal Spindle Transfer method as part of clinical study conducted by the Institute of Life and Embryotools scientific team

A second baby has been born via the medical method of Maternal Spindle Transfer, in the context of clinical research being carried out by the scientific team of the ‘Institute of Life’ and ‘Embryotools’ in Greece. In the framework of this clinical research, the Maternal Spindle Transfer is being investigated as a means to treat infertility problems deriving from cytoplasmic dysfunction of the oocytes and prevention of serious inherited mitochondrial diseases’ transmission.

The infant was born at 07:00 am on November 11^th, 2019, to a Greek mother with a long history of 10 IVF failures. Both the mother and the infant are in very good health.

The attending obstetrician – surgeon – gynaecologist, Dr. Ioannis P. Vasilopoulos, made the following statement: “I am very happy that today the second baby was brought into the world via the maternal spindle transfer method in the context of the clinical research being carried out by the scientific team of the Institute of Life and Embryotools. A Greek woman with a long history of failed IVF attempts was able to become a mother with her own genetic material!”

The scientific collaborator of Institute of Life and Co-Founder of Embryotools, Dr. Nuno Costa–Borges, highlighted that: “The scientific team continues its clinical research at the Institute of Life – IASO laboratory, which we believe will be completed soon”.

You may recall that the birth of the first baby via the maternal spindle transfer method, in the context of the specific clinical research, was carried out in Greece, by the scientific team of the Institute of Life and Embryotools, in early April 2019. The infant is now seven months old and in excellent health.

About the Maternal Spindle Transfer Method

The Maternal Spindle Transfer method involves mitochondrial replacement in human oocytes, fully preserving the genetic material of the woman who wants to reproduce. In this way, in the context of the clinical research being carried out by the Institute of Life and Embryotools, the scientific team is researching the potential to overcome the problems of women with fertility issues and multiple IVF failures caused by cytoplasmic dysfunctions of their oocytes, and the implementation of the method for the prevention of the transmission of serious mitochondrial diseases.

Important Note:

Births of children via the Maternal Spindle Transfer method are carried out in the context of an ongoing research protocol concerning clinical research leading to pregnancy and conducted in accordance with the terms and conditions of Law 3305/2005. Based on current scientific data, the Maternal Spindle Transfer method is not an established infertility treatment, nor a recognized method of medically assisted reproduction.