Scientific and ethical issues of preimplantation diagnosis

Abstract

Preimplantation diagnosis (PID) offers couples at high risk of having offspring affected with a genetic disorder the possibility of an early prenatal diagnosis. For many couples this approach will give the opportunity to avoid a selective termination of affected pregnancies. Substantial advances were made in PID since the report, in 1990, of the first birth obtained after PID. Yet, many technical hazards have to be solved for PID to become a standard clinical tool. The very close correlation existing between the forthcoming developments in the fields of PID and human genome mapping will improve the reliability and efficiency of genetic diagnosis. In the near future, the procedure may also become easier and safer. As a consequence, the indications for PID could be extended to other genetic defects, such as multifactorial diseases. They could also be extended to cases with no medical background, such as social gender selection or behavioural traits. In this perspective, it is now time for both the medical and scientific communities to identify the ethical issues related to these potential new indications.

Application Domains: Genetic Diseases

“…Perhaps the most controversial form of genetic screening is preimplantation diagnosis (PID), where after in vitro fertilization, embryos are screened for genetic disease or chromosome abnormalities before implantation (NAGY et al, 1998).The advantage of PID over prenatal diagnosis is that both the risk associated with invasive techniques such as amniocentesis or CVS and the psychological consequences of abortion can be avoided. The technique may be particularly valuable for couples who:…”

“…(1) have faced spontaneous miscarriages without a specific genetic diagnosis, (2) are at risk for transmitting X-linked disorders, or (3) are experiencing infertility caused by chromosomal translocations and/or gonadal mosaicism (NAGY et al, 1998).…”