It is now possible to combine the nuclear DNA from a mother and father with the mitochondrial DNA from a third-party egg donor. This "three-parent IVF," approved in the UK for mitochondrial diseases, creates a child with the genetic makeup of two parents and the mitochondrial health of a third.
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Many object to embryo selection because they mistakenly believe it involves altering genes. In reality, the technology simply reveals information about natural genetic variations already present in IVF embryos, allowing parents to choose, not tinker.
Up to 40% of natural conceptions are spontaneously aborted, often before a woman knows she's pregnant. This is typically the body's way of rejecting embryos with severe genetic abnormalities. This natural process provides a powerful biological precedent for the practice of pre-implantation genetic screening.
To normalize the ethically fraught practice of embryo gene editing, startups like Preventive are shifting the narrative from just curing disease to radical cost reduction. They claim editing embryos could cost $5,000, a fraction of the $2 million price tag for current adult gene therapies.
Ideologies that rely on a 'blank slate' view of human nature have made a catastrophic error. As genetic technologies become mainstream, the public is forced to confront the tangible reality of genetic predispositions in their own reproductive choices. This will unravel the blank slate worldview, a cornerstone of some progressive thought.
Fears of a return to 1940s-style eugenics are misplaced when focusing on individual reproductive choices. The critical distinction is between government-forced programs and individuals making informed decisions. Preserving individual autonomy is the key safeguard against the historical horrors of coercive eugenics.
The predictive power of embryo screening can be validated without controversial longitudinal studies on children. By testing if models can accurately predict trait differences between adult siblings using only their DNA, companies can prove efficacy for embryos, who are essentially unrealized siblings.
A new innovation allows companies to construct an embryo's entire genome using raw data from a standard Down syndrome test. This means parents can get comprehensive polygenic reports without needing explicit approval from clinics or doctors, effectively democratizing access and removing traditional medical gatekeepers.
Standard IVF practice involves a doctor visually selecting the embryo that appears most "normally shaped." This is already a form of selection. Polygenic screening simply replaces this subjective "eyeballing" method with quantitative genetic data for a more informed choice, making it an evolution, not a revolution.
Polygenic embryo screening, while controversial, presents a clear economic value proposition. A $3,500 test from Genomic Prediction that lowers Type 2 Diabetes risk by 12% implies that avoiding the disease is worth over $27,000. This reframes the service from 'designer babies' to a rational financial decision for parents.
Fears about unintended trade-offs from embryo selection are largely unfounded due to 'positive pleiotropy.' The genes for many diseases are positively correlated. This means selecting against a disease like severe depression often provides a 'free' reduction in the risk of other conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.