British researchers have developed a revolutionary test that will let prospective parents screen embryos for almost any known genetic disease.
Developed at the Bridge Centre in London, the test can check for mutations that cause serious disorders such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease.
It can also screen for multiple genetic variations, so that scientists could screen for combinations that together confer higher risks of diabetes, heart disease or cancer.
The test will also reveal an embryo’s future susceptibility to a host of medical conditions.
For example, parents could be told about their embryo’s future risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease or breast cancer.
“It makes genetic screening very much more straightforward.”
Technically, it would be possible to use the test to select an embryo with a particular eye colour or to screen for multiple genes known to affect height or weight.
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