Putting Your Best Genes Forward
With the mapping of the human genome, it isn’t difficult to conceive of the day when we might diagnose mere embryos with congenital diseases or unhealthy predispositions. Such power creates a dilemma: Would it be a better world if couples were to simultaneously create multiple embryos (through in vitro fertilization of stored eggs and sperm) and allow for the genome of each embryo to be mapped for selection purposes. Coupled with a better understanding of the genetic sources of congenital disease, such a system of embryonic sampling would allow couples to put their better genes forward in virtually every pregnancy. The result would be a healthier lot of babies and parents. Diseases such as autism often place an irrevocable strain upon affected families, as evidenced by the exceptionally high divorce rate among parents of autistic children. If it became a medical possibility, many parents would likely value the ability to identify and unselect “pre-autistic” embryos among a larger set of embryos.
Of course, embryonic sampling based on DNA mapping would, by design, lead to large-scale abortion. However, large-scale abortion already occurs in the case of in vitro fertilization. In the current procedure, doctors select the best embryo or set of embryos based on such factors as cell count and symmetry of growth and discard the others. Embryonic sampling based on DNA mapping, should it become viable, would not be any sort of modern eugenics project. Couples would still choose with whom they wish to combine their DNA. Embryonic sampling would merely allow them the option of a better expected expression of that combination.
-SS
