Professor John Carroll shares an update on what recent mitochondrial donation news means for the Australian pilot program, mitoHOPE.
Read our plain language summary of the UK results, or explore our mitochondrial donation resource.
Dear members of the Australian mito community,
You may have seen or heard the recent news from the UK—8 babies have been born using mitochondrial donation. This is an exciting step. All babies have low levels of harmful mitochondrial DNA, which is very promising.
As the head of mitoHOPE, Australia’s mitochondrial donation pilot program, I want to share what this news means for families here. I know you're watching closely. I want you to know: we're doing this work with you in mind, every day.
The Australian media coverage of the UK mitochondrial donation program has been very positive, but I understand it may also bring up questions and emotions. If you or someone you love lives with mitochondrial disease, I know this kind of news can feel both hopeful and hard.
Here’s an update on where things stand.
The mitoHOPE timeline
We're getting closer. We expect to receive our first licence soon. This will allow us to begin training our embryologists using eggs that have been donated to research. It's the first of at least 3 licences we'll need before we can begin the clinical trial. We’re preparing the remaining applications now so we will progress to being able to offer mitochondrial donation as quickly as the regulatory process allows.
This work is made possibly by Maeve’s Law - Australian legislation that allows mitochondrial donation to happen safely and ethically. Because this is the first time the system is being used, the regulatory process has been slower than any of us hoped. But we are making steady progress. Right now, we expect to start recruiting participants in late 2026.
What we’ve learnt about the safety of mitochondrial donation
Scientists have been researching mitochondrial donation in laboratories since the 1980s. Their research in mice, monkeys and humans shows the procedure has little effect on embryos in laboratory conditions, Members of the mitoHOPE team already have a lot of direct experience in mitochondrial donation in mice and humans. Once we have the licences, we will be able to progress through the training steps without delay.
The birth of the babies in the UK is just the first step to show that mitochondrial donation works in the clinical environment. The mitoHOPE Program will research how to make mitochondrial donation techniques even better.
Our team will work with the team in the UK to share what we've learned and to learn from them as well. We are very fortunate the lead researcher of the UK team, Professor Mary Herbert, has joined the mitoHOPE team and is now based at Monash University. This has been an enormous advantage in our preparations, and ensures we are in the best possible position to introduce mitochondrial donation in Australia.
Pictured: Dr Melissa Caddy, mitoHOPE clinical embryologist, practicing mitochondrial donation on mouse eggs.
Will this work for everyone with changes in their mitochondrial DNA?
Mitochondrial donation may be an option for some families impacted by mito, but not all. I encourage you to read more about options for building your family and work with your healthcare team to understand which options may work for your situation. The news from the UK was about mitochondrial donation and another IVF-based option called preimplantation genetic testing (or PGT).
Mitochondrial donation may be an option when a woman has high levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA. In some cases, a small amount of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA may still be passed on to her offspring. But we’re learning how to lower that risk. In 6 of the 8 UK babies, disease-causing mitochondrial DNA was not found. The other 2 babies did have some disease-causing mitochondrial DNA. But the levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA are so low that they are unlikely to cause mitochondrial DNA disease. The mitoHOPE team is researching how to reduce the transfer of mum's mitochondrial DNA.
It is still too early to know if mitochondrial donation will work for everyone with high levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA. But so far, it appears that it will work for most people most of the time.
What about Monash IVF?
You may have seen media reports about incidents at Monash IVF, our clinical partner. These events are serious, and I know they may be causing you concern. Monash IVF is a separate entity to Monash University. Monash IVF has introduced enhanced laboratory safety measures to help ensure this does not happen again. It has also commissioned a respected senior barrister to conduct an independent review into these incidents.
The entire mitoHOPE team, including all partners, must follow strict Australian laws. This includes strict reporting processes and regular inspections by the Embryo Research Licensing Committee. With all this in place we are confident that Monash IVF is a safe and reliable partner for this program.
Through mitoHOPE, we anticipate that around 30 women will have mitochondrial donation at Monash IVF. Everyone involved will be supported, informed, and protected by safety rules and oversight. The mitoHOPE embryologists involved will complete highly-specialised training in mitochondrial donation techniques.
I know this news brings both hope and complexity. You may be living with mito. You may be thinking about your children. Or you may simply be wondering what the future holds. We're with you. My team and I are doing this work with care, with science, and in partnership with the Australian mito community.
If you’d like to stay up-to-date on our progress, please visit the mitoHOPE website.
All my best,
Professor John Carroll
mitoHOPE Program Lead
