"With IVF, prospective parents already have options to screen embryos, not just for sex or severe genetic diseases, but increasingly for a full range of genetic traits. Thanks to whole genome sequencing (WGS), the choice isn't science fiction; we can now analyze all 20,000+ human genes in an embryo with better than 99.9 percent accuracy for many mutations and chromosomal problems (assuming parents are willing to forego natural conception, and instead supply their eggs and sperm to a lab for embryo creation and analysis)."
"But here's the twist: in some Silicon Valley startups, like Nucleus and Orchid, couples are willingly turning to IVF not only when medically necessary, but simply to have the option to create multiple embryos, test them, and choose among them, rather than "rolling the dice" with natural conception. For many parents with known genetic illnesses, this is nothing short of miraculous: it can literally end cycles of inherited suffering."
Genome sequencing enables analysis of all 20,000+ human genes in embryos with high accuracy, permitting selection against many mutations and chromosomal abnormalities. IVF can create multiple embryos for laboratory screening of sex, severe genetic diseases, and an expanding array of genetic traits. Some parents and startups pursue embryo testing for non-medical preferences, allowing choice instead of natural conception. The approach can remove inherited disorders such as Huntington's or muscular dystrophy from family lines. Current costs limit access, but declining prices will likely broaden use. Ethical, psychological, and societal implications are increasing and call for public governance and societal guardrails.
Read at Psychology Today
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