Many couples in the US are turning to medical professionals about fertility issues, while a new genetic test can reveal the genetic characteristics of future babies. The test called “23andMe” is offered by the startup company Genomic Prediction from New Jersey. The media first reported on this two years ago. The company can use DNA measurements to predict which embryos from artificial insemination are least likely to develop one of 11 different common diseases. Scientists are expected to publish the case studies of the first customer in the next few weeks.
New genetic test like in the movie “Gattaca”
Parents receive certificates about frozen embryos and, based on the test results, can try to choose the healthiest ones. The classes includeRisk estimates for diabetes, heart attack and five types of cancer. According to brochures distributed by the company, they warn customers about a risky embryo. This could have low health scores or fewer opportunities for intellectual development. The test comes straight from the science fiction film Gattaca. This is a film that represents one of the inspirations of the startup's CEO, Laurent Tellier. The company's other co-founders are testing expert Nathan Treff and Stephen Hsu, a Michigan State University administrator and media expert.
So far, fertility centers have not taken advantage of the opportunity. For this reason, a new genetic test, which is untested, could not be offered. Instead, prospective parents learn about Designer Baby Reports through word of mouth or news articles and bring the company's brochures to their doctors. One such pair recently appeared at New York University Medical Center in Manhattan, says David Keefe, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology there. “It raises all sorts of questions about eugenics right off the bat,” he says. Keefe, who has seven children, worries that couples who think they can choose children from a menu may be disappointed. “It’s fraught with parenting issues,” he says. “So many couples just need to feel like they’ve done enough.”
Choosing your new baby
The company's project is still at a preliminary stage. While the company has already tested some embryos, it is not yet certain whether they can still use some of them to induce pregnancy. The scientists are carrying out this new genetic test on some cells that they have taken from a one-day-old, artificially fertilized embryo. Then, Genomic Prediction measures its DNA at several hundred thousand genetic positions. Of which it states whether it can produce a statistical estimate of the likelihood of disease later in life. Doctors then refer to this as “polygenic inheritance”. You can find more information about this inthis articleread.
