Designer Babies: Embryonic Genetic Selection Sara Hoffman ’18 ST112: Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society Colby College – Waterville, ME

Introduction Ethical Considerations “Designer babies” is a colloquial term for While there are several benefits of being able to select human that have been genetically for a child to have a particular genetic makeup, there are modified or selected to have (or lack) a specific also several ethical concerns raised by the manipulation of trait or . the human gene pool. The most prominent ethical concerns are: • The reduction of gene variation within the human gene pool could increase the potential for a disastrous event to end the human race • The high cost of genetic modification methods and procedures could lead to a super class as lower economic classes cannot afford these processes • Healthy but “different” individuals may be selected aborted, contributing to the potential for a super class • The use of genetic manipulation has led some parents Screening processes test human embryos for to conceive children who will be genetic matches for ill genetic markers that indicate a particular . siblings, known as “savior siblings,” for the express Embryos that show these markers can be purpose of acting as donors for their siblings discarded rather than implanted, which allows • An error caused by genetic modification will be passed parents to ensure that their children do not have down to all offspring of the modified individual that particular disease. The popularization of such https://www.eugin.co.uk/fertility-treatments/ivf/pgd/ • Discarding embryos that are deemed less fit than others genetic selection tactics is associated with several is sometimes viewed as taking a human life concerns about how these techniques will affect our society. Advantages of Designer Babies The ability to screen embryos for particular defects provides a new source of hope for parents who are carriers of fatal genetic defects. One such defect Genetic Diagnosis and Selection includes Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome, a and modification occurs during neurodegenerative disease that is often fatal by age 60. fertilization (IVF) of embryos. During IVF, a Prospective parents who have the disease can stop it in process known as Preimplantation Genetic its tracks by ensuring that they do not pass it on to their Diagnosis (PGD) consists of the extraction of a offspring. single cell from an eight-cell and the analysis of its DNA for disease-associated genetic markers. The steps of PGD are: 1. Remove cells from 5 day-old embryos and freeze the embryos Literature Cited 1.“Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.” Does PGD & PGS Help IVF, Pros and Cons of Genetic Testing with IVF, 2. Analyze the cells’ DNA to identify which www.advancedfertility.com/preimplantation-genetic-diagnosis.htm. 2. “Designer Baby.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2018, embryos are free of problematic in a en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designer_baby#Regulation_of_Preimplantation_Genetic_Diagnosis. 3. Iredale, R. , Longley, M. , Thomas, C. and Shaw, A. (2006), What choices should we be able to make about week-long process designer babies? A Citizens’ Jury of young people in South Wales. Health Expectations, 9: 207-217. doi:10.1111/j.1369-7625.2006.00387.x 3. Embryos free of genetic irregularities are Other advantages of PGD include that it allows for 4.Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/embryo-screening-and-the-ethics-of- human-60561. implanted into the and others are advanced knowledge of genetic defects. This prevents 5.“Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis.” Overview, Indications and Conditions, Process, 1 June 2016, emedicine.medscape.com/article/273415-overview. destroyed couples from making a difficult choice between 6.Regalado, Antonio. “We Uncovered the Plan to Engineer the Human Species.” MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 7 Apr. 2016, www.technologyreview.com/s/535661/engineering-the-perfect-baby/. terminating an affected pregnancy when the fetus is 7.Steve Connor Science Editor. “IVF: First Genetically-Modified Human Embryos 'Could Be Created in Britain within Weeks'.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 13 Jan. 2016, between 10 and 16 weeks old or raise a child with a www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ivf-first-genetically-modified-human-embryos-could-be-created-in-britain- within-weeks-a6810506.html. genetic disease. Some professionals also propose that 8.Suter, S. (2007). A Brave New World of Designer Babies? Berkeley Technology Law Journal, 22(2), 897-969. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24117430 IVF and PGD together can prevent miscarriages, which 9.https://explorebiotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/maxresdefault-1-1.jpg (top left image) 10. https://www.invitra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/process-of-pgd-for-gender-selection.png (bottom left image) can be both emotionally and physically taxing for 11.https://www.congenica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Rare-disease-numbers.png (center panel) prospective parents. 12.http://mrkantor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/new-blog-photo.jpg (top right image)