Legalising MRT in the United Kingdom

This chapter explains how the United Kingdom became the first country to legalise mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT). The authors explore the UK historical context, the stringent yet liberal approach to supporting embryo research that enables scientific development and clinical application. They then consider how safety, ethics, and public opinion were assessed, with key institutions concluding that there was clear patient need, benefits outweighed the risks, and that MRT was appropriate to be considered for clinical use. In part these assessments involved mobilising an ‘interpretive package’ through which the techniques were given meaning and where those meanings were contested. The authors consider how the work of review and debate were significant as they contributed to the production of an ethical future for MRT by making it knowable, desirable, ethical, and sanctionable. The chapter concludes by considering the legacy of the MRT debates and how they might shape contestations around CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.