Fertility clinics in parts of Asia, Europe, and the Americas are promoting a procedure called mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) as a way to boost IVF success rates, but medical experts warn the treatment lacks scientific evidence and carries unknown long-term risks. The procedure, which was originally developed to prevent inherited mitochondrial disease, is now being marketed to infertile patients without mitochondrial disease as an "egg rejuvenation" technique.

What Is Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy and How Are Clinics Using It?

MRT works by removing the nucleus from a woman's egg or embryo and transferring it into a donated young egg whose nucleus has been removed. Because mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells, are inherited only from the egg, the resulting child carries nuclear DNA from the parents and mitochondrial DNA from the donor. The technique was originally designed to prevent children from inheriting harmful mitochondrial DNA mutations that cause serious disease.

Now, some fertility clinics are extending MRT to infertile patients who don't have mitochondrial disease. Their premise is that mitochondrial function declines with age, so mitochondria from young donor eggs could support embryo development and improve pregnancy chances. Clinics in the Bahamas, the Philippines, Albania, and Ukraine are actively promoting MRT on their websites and social media, often calling it "egg rejuvenation." One Philippines-based clinic, IVF Asia Group, claims that adding MRT to conventional IVF means "a 40-year-old patient can achieve results similar to those of a 25-year-old." A Ukrainian clinic, Biotexcom, sells MRT-created embryos starting at 6,500 euros, roughly $7,000.

Why Do Experts Say There's No Evidence This Works?

The scientific evidence supporting MRT for infertility treatment is extremely limited. Research specifically studying MRT in people without mitochondrial disease is sparse and plagued by methodological problems. In a 2023 study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, a Spanish research team performed MRT on 25 women without mitochondrial disease. Among participants under 36, three out of six delivered babies, and among those aged 36 to 39, three out of 19 gave birth. However, the researchers themselves acknowledged they couldn't draw conclusions about effectiveness because the sample size was too small and there was no control group for comparison.

A 2019 Ukrainian study had even weaker results: only one out of 30 participants achieved a live birth, and again, there was no control group. The researchers did not recommend MRT as an infertility treatment.

"There is no evidence to justify the use of MRT as an infertility treatment," stated Robin Lovell-Badge, principal group leader in developmental biology at the Francis Crick Institute in the United Kingdom. He noted that there is very little evidence that eggs from women undergoing infertility treatment lack mitochondria or have poor-quality mitochondria, and it is uncertain whether MRT could resolve such issues.

Robin Lovell-Badge, Principal Group Leader in Developmental Biology, Francis Crick Institute

Internal data presented by some clinics also has clear limitations. IVF Asia Group claimed that 50% of embryos reached the blastocyst stage (the developmental stage ready for transfer to the uterus) after MRT, but they did not disclose any pregnancy or birth outcomes. A 2025 conference abstract reported pregnancy rates above 55% when combining IVF and MRT, but the analysis only included patients selected based on specific criteria and provided no control group data or breakdown by age.

What Are the Safety Concerns?

Beyond the lack of evidence for effectiveness, safety concerns loom large. Animal studies suggest potential risks that could affect children born via MRT. In a 2022 study published in the journal Circulation, mice whose cells contained two different types of mitochondrial DNA developed cardiovascular abnormalities, high blood pressure, and muscle wasting as they grew. A 2012 study in the journal Cell found that mice inheriting mitochondrial DNA from two different lineages showed heightened stress responses and reduced cognitive function.

It is not yet known whether these animal findings apply to humans. However, researchers emphasize that children born via MRT should be monitored long-term into adulthood to check for any late-emerging adverse effects.

"At a time when there is no evidence from controlled clinical trials to support benefits for infertility treatment, expensive procedures are being offered to people desperate for a child," said Mary Herbert, professor of reproductive biology at Monash University in Australia, calling it "fundamentally wrong."

Mary Herbert, Professor of Reproductive Biology, Monash University

What Do Experts Recommend?

Leading reproductive medicine specialists are calling for caution and proper research before MRT is used outside clinical trials. Key recommendations from the medical community include:

• Rigorous Clinical Trials: MRT should only be used within the framework of properly designed clinical trials with control groups, adequate sample sizes, and long-term follow-up data before being offered to patients.
• Long-Term Monitoring: Any children born via MRT should be followed into adulthood to monitor for late-emerging adverse effects that may not appear in infancy or early childhood.
• Transparent Data Reporting: Clinics should disclose complete pregnancy and birth outcome data, not just embryo development rates, and should provide participant numbers broken down by age and other relevant factors.

"MRT carries too great a potential for adverse effects to be used hastily," warned Nikolaos Polyzos, head of reproductive medicine at Dexeus University Hospital in Spain. "Until it is validated in properly designed clinical trials, it should not be used outside the framework of clinical research."

Nikolaos Polyzos, Head of Reproductive Medicine, Dexeus University Hospital

For people considering fertility treatment, the takeaway is clear: while egg freezing and conventional IVF are well-established options with documented success rates, newer procedures like MRT for infertility should be approached with extreme caution. If a fertility clinic is promoting MRT as a solution for age-related infertility, ask for peer-reviewed published data, control group comparisons, and long-term safety information before proceeding.