[Prevention of mitochondrial diseases: a hope through assisted reproductive technologies]

Mitochondrial diseases are a heterogenic and poorly studied group of diseases, considered serious in most cases and currently without treatment. Although assisted reproduction proposed strategies to prevent them, such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, these techniques are not sufficiently successful. However, the recent publication of two assistedreproduction techniques – meiotic spindle transfer in nonhuman primates and pronuclear transfer in humans – generate a clear ray of hope for the prevention of these diseases. This review analyzes the characteristics and meaning of these new findings and their future clinical implications.