Placing MRT in the Evolution of Reproduction

This concluding chapter reviews the edited volume, bringing together the pivotal ideas, developments, and debates around the mitochondrial replacement therapies (MRT) identified in the chapters written by experts from multiple disciplinary and geographic perspectives, and it considers the significance of MRT to human reproduction and for other emerging technological advancements. The chapter traces the evolving global use of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial transfer before considering the influence of important actors and stakeholders in the MRT debate. It then brings together the unique questions raised by MRT that policymakers and communities will need to address whether regulation of the technology occurs or not before making observations on what MRT and our responses to it mean for other emerging technologies, particularly human heritable genome editing, and for society more broadly. It concludes that while international agreement on MRT is unlikely, bringing together multiple perspectives and voices may drive best practices forward.