[First twins born in Mainland China by autologous granular cell mitochondria transfer]

A 37-year-old woman with the history of twice spontaneous abortion, who received unfruitful in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) for two cycles due to poor embryo quality, underwent the third cycle for autologous granular cell mitochondria transfer of 5 matured oocytes and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in another 4 oocytes. Better embryo quality was resulted by the former technique than by the latter, despite that fertilization was achieved in all the 4 oocytes with the latter operation. Four of the 5 oocytes with mitochondria transfer were fertilized and developed into normal embryos, 3 of which were selected for intrauterine transplantation. Clinical pregnancy with triplets was subsequently obtained, but the development of one fetus accidentally stopped at the fifth week of pregnancy. The woman received five times of immunotherapy with her husband's leukocytes before and after the pregnancy. At the 30 th week of pregnancy, the women was admitted for severe pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome that failed to respond to a two-week treatment course. Cesarean section was subsequently performed and two normal babies, one boy and one girl, were born on August 6th, 2003, who were taken home after care in neonate wards. This is the first report of the birth of babies born by autologous granular cell mitochondria transfer in Mainland China.