 What if you could screen embryos for diseases before they became babies?  What if you could choose the traits your baby would have?  Would you use it?

 The combined use of reproductive and genetic technologies to select/modify embryos before implantation.

 In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the process of fertilization by manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish and then transferring the fertilized embryo to the uterus. (“test tube babies”)

 vf-sci vf-sci

 Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis allows for embryos to be screened for potential genetic diseases or defects (such as Huntington’s Disease).  It also allows for genetic manipulation, screening for chromosomal abnormalities and thereby increasing chances of successful implantation.  nMkVEQ nMkVEQ

 Is a gene that puts the carrier at a 50-80% higher risk of developing breast cancer.  People that carry this gene can screen their embryos and only implant those without this gene present. But where might this lead?

 Currently, the UK is experimenting with replacing faulty mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) with healthy mDNA from a donor egg  The resulting egg would contain the birth mother’s nuclear DNA and the donor mother’s mDNA, resulting in “three parent babies”  6m9yJTA 6m9yJTA

 Is the belief and practice which aims at improving the genetic quality of the human population.  Originally, this was achieved through selective breeding  In the future, genetic manipulation may achieve similar results with greater efficiency.

 Wrong sperm used to inseminate eggs  Buying and selling reproductive material is illegal in Canada, but not in the USA (more cross border shopping:)  Women are freezing their eggs for safe- keeping, even though this practice is experimental and unproven  Children born to anonymous sperm donors decades ago are now going to court to find out who their fathers are

 No federal standards - leading to different rules in different provinces  Doctors are transferring too many embryos per treatment cycle and over-stimulating women with powerful fertility drugs.  Most pressing issue is the number of pregnancies conceived at a given time  Quebec funds IVF (up to 3 cycles). Each cycle costs approx. $12,000. In order to reduce the risk of multiple births, only one embryo is transferred at a time. (reduced multiple births)

 “Test tube turmoil” Vancouver Sun, Jan 29, 2011  “Trusting the Future” Stephanie Saulter, May 6, 2014  “Embryo Screening and the Ethics of Human Genetic Engineering” Leslie A. Pray, 2008  “Scientists step closer to creating designer babies” Jan 13, 2009 (christian.org.uk)