A February 13, 2014 The New York Times article entitled "Ethics Questions Arise as Genetic testing of Embryos Increases" caught my eye. It reviews the bioethics issues that are accumulating due to the rapidly evolving field of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (P.G.D.). The LIBERTARIAN BIOETHICS BLOGger supports P.G.D.
What is P.G.D.? P.G.D. is the genetic testing of embryos for specific disease-causing gene mutations. Such testing is commonly the first test in a multistep pregnancy process, in which embryos with horrific disease-causing gene mutations are discarded while embryos without horrific disease-causing gene mutations are implanted into an eager female. The relevant NYT article details the case of a young woman with Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS), which is a fatal neurologic disorder. She originally planned to forgo childbirth to prevent the GSS gene from affecting any others in her family, but P.G.D. allowed she and her husband to have three children without the GSS gene.
Three bioethicists were interviewed for this article. ECU bioethicist Janet Malek supports P.G.D., Yeshiva University bioethicist David Wasserman opposes P.G.D., and Columbia bioethicist Dr. Robert Klitzman waffles. The reasons that neo-Luddite Wasserman gives to oppose P.G.D. are incoherent, so I won't waste your time.
One P.G.D. negative mentioned by the author is the cost, "typically about $20,000".
P.G.D. is the future of medicine.
What is P.G.D.? P.G.D. is the genetic testing of embryos for specific disease-causing gene mutations. Such testing is commonly the first test in a multistep pregnancy process, in which embryos with horrific disease-causing gene mutations are discarded while embryos without horrific disease-causing gene mutations are implanted into an eager female. The relevant NYT article details the case of a young woman with Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS), which is a fatal neurologic disorder. She originally planned to forgo childbirth to prevent the GSS gene from affecting any others in her family, but P.G.D. allowed she and her husband to have three children without the GSS gene.
Three bioethicists were interviewed for this article. ECU bioethicist Janet Malek supports P.G.D., Yeshiva University bioethicist David Wasserman opposes P.G.D., and Columbia bioethicist Dr. Robert Klitzman waffles. The reasons that neo-Luddite Wasserman gives to oppose P.G.D. are incoherent, so I won't waste your time.
One P.G.D. negative mentioned by the author is the cost, "typically about $20,000".
P.G.D. is the future of medicine.
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