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Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Tuesday, 1 April 2014.

Health: Mitochondrial Disease

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 8 July 2013 (WA 9) and by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, on 10 March (HC Deb, col 97W), which are the forms of muscular dystrophy listed in Annex D of the consultation document entitled “Mitochondrial Donation” that are distinct from the mitochondrial myopathies already separately listed therein; how muscular dystrophy is covered by diabetes as described in Annex D; to which congenital form of diabetes that refers; which proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome are known to be mutated in recognised clinical cases of muscular dystrophy and diabetes; and on how many separate instances they have stated in correspondence that muscular dystrophy is caused by mitochondrial disease.[HL6106]

Answer

The table of disorders caused by unhealthy mitochondrial DNA attached as Annex D in the consultation document ‘Mitochondrial Donation’ was derived from existing published tables, such as the 2011 report by the Expert Panel convened by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to review safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques. More detail about all the polymorphisms and mutations in human mitochondrial DNA is available at:

www.mitomap.org/MITOMAP

A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has identified 128 Departmental responses to correspondence received between January 2013 and September 2013, which mentioned muscular dystrophy as a condition that could be caused by mitochondrial DNA disease.

We have been consistently clear that the estimated number of cases of families at risk of serious mitochondrial disease, who might benefit from mitochondrial donation treatment, is relatively small.

The latest estimate from the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University is that, initially, 10-20 families per year might be assisted by the mitochondrial donation techniques. These might include those with muscular dystrophy myopathies caused by faulty mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial donation would not have any impact on the 70,000 cases of muscular dystrophy that arise in the general population, that have no connection to mitochondrial disease.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL6106; 753 c178WA
Session
2013-14
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Subjects
Diabetes Genetic engineering IVF Hereditary diseases Muscular dystrophy
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk