Screening Embroys For Genes That Can Lead To Horrible Heriditary Disea

[Steely Dan]

British researchers are making strides in eradicating hereditary diseases.

 

Linkage

 

 

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The first child in Britain known to have been screened as an embryo to ensure she did not carry a cancer gene was born Friday, a spokesman for University College London told CNN.

Genetic screening allows lab-fertilized embryos to be tested for genes likely to lead to later health problems.

 

Her embryo was screened in a lab days after conception to check for the BRCA-1 gene, linked to breast and ovarian cancer.

 

People with the gene are known to have a 50-80 percent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer in their lifetimes.

 

British newspapers have dubbed the girl the "cancer-free" baby.

 

"This little girl will not face the specter of developing this genetic form of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her adult life," said Paul Serhal, a consultant at University College London Hospital and Medical Director of the Assisted Conception Unit.

 

"The parents will have been spared the risk of inflicting this disease on their daughter. The lasting legacy is the eradication of the transmission of this form of cancer that has blighted these families for generations."

 

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"This is not a cure for breast cancer," said Josephine Quintavalle, co-founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, which describes itself as group that focuses on ethical dilemmas related to reproduction.

 

 

"This is simply a mechanism for eliminating the birth of anybody (prone to) the disease," she said. "It is basically a search-and-kill mechanism."

 

She opposes the procedure because embryos found to carry disease-causing genes often are discarded. She says that is essentially murder.

 

"They will be destroyed," she said. "They will never be allowed to live."

 

Doctors in Britain and elsewhere increasingly test embryos for genes that are certain to cause illnesses such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington's Disease.

 

What's different about the girl born Friday is that she is the first infant known to have been tested in Britain as an embryo for a gene that is merely likely -- not certain -- to cause disease.

 

In the United States, geneticists are free to test for any condition for which they can develop a probe -- and they're free to look for genes that are certain to cause diseases as well as genes that merely may pose problems later in life.

 

Quintavalle opposes any form of in-vitro fertilization where embryos are "killed," she said. But she is particularly troubled by the idea of screening an embryo for the BRCA-1 gene because carriers of the gene do not always develop the disease, and the disease is not always fatal.

 

"The message we are sending is: 'Better off dead than carrying (a gene linked to) breast cancer,'" she said. "We have gone very much down the proverbial slippery slope."

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Peter Braude, one of the top British experts on the genetic testing of embryos, said he understands the ethical objections but focuses on the benefits.

 

"There has always been a vociferous group in opposition," he said. But "there are people who can benefit and I think they should be allowed to do so."

 

In fact, he argues that the procedure actually prevents abortions because it takes place on a three-day old embryo in a lab. Only embryos that lack the defective gene are implanted.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Shucks! I was born 40 years too early.

 

Another note: My mother died of ovarian cancer 10 years ago. She would be around today. Heck, back in 1972 she had a partial hysterectomy, leaving her ovaries... Even back then if the docs knew it was wickedly hereditary (her aunt beat it around that time)... They never would have made the mistake with the partial. Those were like two ticking timebombs waiting to go off 20 years later! And they did, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1993... It developed within months out of nowhere. She did live and fight it for 6 more years before losing the battle.

 

Again, she would be alive today.

[Steely Dan]

For me this is a good thing overall. My hesitancy comes from the possibility of creating greater problems in people because this experiment is so new. Since it's only being used on a mass of a few cells and it's eventually proven to work without any side effects during the person's life then it's a major step in helping people avoid horrendous diseases.

 

I came down as for it and that there are good arguments on both sides.

[Beerball]

For me this is a good thing overall. My hesitancy comes from the possibility of creating greater problems in people because this experiment is so new. Since it's only being used on a mass of a few cells and it's eventually proven to work without any side effects during the person's life then it's a major step in helping people avoid horrendous diseases.

 

I came down as for it and that there are good arguments on both sides.

What does all this have to do with getting undressed?

[Britbillsfan]

In this case the embryo's genetic structure was not altered, from my understanding. It was screened in a lab to ensure it was free of the genes causing cancer before it was placed within the womb in order to continue to full term.

[ieatcrayonz]

Things like this always have unintended consequences. There have been many documentaries on this very issue. I think Tony Hawke was in one of the famous ones.

 

Anyway, I am against it but if they have to do it they should start in Canada where there is really nothing to lose.

[Steely Dan]

What does all this have to do with getting undressed?

 

Keep your sick fantasies to yourself you pig!!

 

I will never jump out of a birthday cake for you.

 

In this case the embryo's genetic structure was not altered, from my understanding. It was screened in a lab to ensure it was free of the genes causing cancer before it was placed within the womb in order to continue to full term.

 

Yeah I guess the title is misleading. I guess I should call it genetic screening.

 

I think I fixed it now. Thanks.

[/dev/null]

A huge step in the advancement of human disease eradication and I'm for it.

A very slippery slope but I am for it.

 

Definitely a huge step for medical care which is a positive

However it also raises the ethical questions of which genes should be altered. Do you want a black baby or a white baby? A blonde or a brunette daughter? Do you want your son to be a tall skinny basketball player or a muscular football player?

[Steely Dan]

A huge step in the advancement of human disease eradication and I'm for it.

A very slippery slope but I am for it.

 

Definitely a huge step for medical care which is a positive

However it also raises the ethical questions of which genes should be altered. Do you want a black baby or a white baby? A blonde or a brunette daughter? Do you want your son to be a tall skinny basketball player or a muscular football player?

 

At this point they aren't adding genes to these embryos they are merely screening the embryos to make sure they don't contain hereditary diseases.

 

It is possible that in the future what you're saying may happen but that's a conversation for another day.

[Wacka]

This is eugenics. Everybody carries cancer genes, We all have the BRAC-1 gene. It is when it is mutated that it MAY cause cancer. This could also happen during the person's lifetime.

What is next? Screening for Aryian features?

[Marv's Neighbor]

Since the British can't build cars or cook why should we believe they can do Medical Research?

 

Boiled Stem Cells anyone?