ESHRE recommends extreme caution on the use of spindle transfer in human oocytes as a clinical application to address fertility problems. This treatment, also known as mitochondrial donation, involves the replacement of chromosomes of donor oocytes with the chromosomes of the patients, with the aim of correcting cytoplasmic disorders. This technique was originally developed for the treatment of women carrying life-threatening mitochondrial diseases to prevent the birth of affected children. After expert evaluation, it was made legal in 2015 in the UK, where each application, available only from licensed centres, is considered on a case by case basis and authorized only for those cases with a clear medical need and having no alternative.
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