Dr. Richard Paulson was recently featured in an interview for NBC News discussing a groundbreaking study reporting that eight healthy babies were born using an experimental three-person IVF technique.

This technique was pioneered by UK scientists, using genetic material from three people by combining the egg and sperm from a mom and dad with a second egg from a donor woman. The goal of this study was to birth babies that were free of mitochondrial disease and met their expected developmental milestones. Although the study resulted in the birth of eight healthy babies, this method of IVF is not currently allowed in the United States.

Dr. Paulson states, “It’s not exactly accurate to say that there are three parents. You do have DNA technically from three parents because the mitochondria, those little energy packets in the cell, also contain DNA. But the fraction of DNA is extremely small.” He goes on to discuss future advancements in reproductive medicine and how this technique opens up the possibilities for similar procedures that can help with other kinds of diseases.

To watch the full NBC interview, visit the link here.