British fertility clinics raise scientific and ethical objections over patients sending embryos’ genetic data abroad for analysis
Couples undergoing IVF in the UK are exploiting an apparent legal loophole to rank their embryos based on genetic predictions of IQ, height and health, the Guardian has learned.
The controversial screening technique, which scores embryos based on their DNA, is not permitted at UK fertility clinics and critics have raised scientific and ethical objections, saying the method is unproven. But under data protection laws, patients can – and in some cases have – demanded their embryos’ raw genetic data and sent it abroad for analysis in an effort to have smarter, healthier children.
Dr Cristina Hickman, a senior embryologist and founder of Avenues fertility clinic in London, said rapid advances in embryo screening techniques and the recent launch of several US companies offering so-called polygenic screening had left clinics facing “legal and ethical confusion”.
Oh neat, eugenics
Sometimes I do think it’s a shame. We as a species could end genetic disease within 1 generation. We could have a smart, stronger, kinder, and ultimately healthier humanity.
But we aren’t ready for it. Any attempt would be forced. Any attempt would get tainted immediately by racism, religion, nationalism, etc.
Sometimes it makes me sad to think of the potential of technology and how we’ll likely never be able to use it ethically or responsibly
There is a strong possibility we would also get it wrong. Diversity is a strength. Who knows what tomorrow brings.
This is asinine. Diversity is a strength, that doesn’t mean that horrific genetic diseases that cause enormous pain and suffering are.
Yes but pain and suffering can inspire people to do great things
Eh, don’t be rude. You are likely thinking of single gene mutations or other clear well defined problems.
My mind was more on polygenic diseases or genes with variable expressiveness. Where humans being humans we target things where we don’t completely understand the outcomes.
We screen for chromosomal abnormalities I don’t have a problem with that for example.
Were it so easy. Sickle cell disease also conveys resistance to malaria
Yes, congratulations. Can you name a benefit of having the BRCA mutation?
If you had it, and you gave it to your daughter, how would you tell them that they have cancer because you thought the idea of using IVF to select against it was icky?
Yes. Tumors get suppressed.
That is what the gene does, the mutation does the opposite and causes massively increased rates of breast and ovarian cancer.
The fact it is so prevalent in the gene pool suggests there may be some benefit we are unaware of. Further study is needed.
Edit: and it doesn’t ‘cause’, it puts you ‘at risk for’.
I get where you’re coming from, but the percentage of our genome needing to change to greatly improve the species is less than you’d think
It’s already starting to happen and it’s not this crazy mass casualty event you make it out to be.
People regularly do IVF and screen out embryos that have inherited horrific genetic diseases, or say, genes that they know make out highly susceptible to cancer.
It doesn’t mean it will inherently lead to a slippery slope. This article is literally about how the UK needs to update its laws to prevent people from getting IVF done there but getting the genetic analysis done elsewhere and then ranking their options based on that to avoid the UKs current laws that would prevent a UK clinic from ranking them like that.
You misunderstand, to have an impact species wide it would be a “mass casuality” event. What’s being done with IVF is too insignificant to the entire gene pool to cure us of genetic based disease or any of the other positives
Home grown, local eugenics.
Kinda like how picking who to marry is also eugenics.
If you pick your spouse specifically because of your prospective offsprings traits then yes, but that’s not exactly why everyone gets married.
Genetic traits explains a fair amount of physical attraction.
Which is one of many aspects of romantic attraction.
Well, slightly outsourced, but as long as the loophole persists, it could be fully local.