Genetics analysis and reproduction:
What is preimplanation genetic diagnosis?
Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd)
Harvard Medical School - Wu Lab
www.pged.org
Complete lesson plans at: www.pged.org/curricula
Discussion Questions:
• If you could choose specific traits or
qualities that you would want your child
to have, what would you choose? Why?
• Are there any you would not want your
child to have? What are they? Why?
What is preimplantation genetic
diagnosis (PGD)?
• PGD is a method to test for certain genetic traits in an
embryo, almost always for genetic disease.
• An embryo is created via in vitro fertilization.
• Genetic testing occurs when embryo is 2-4 days old,
typically at the 8-cell stage.
• A single cell is removed and tested.
• The results of testing are used to decide which embryos,
if any, to implant in prospective mother’s uterus.
personal genetics education project
PGD being performed on a 3-day old embryo
Image via http://www.obgyn.net/Frontiers_In_Reproductive_Medicine/images/PGD.gif
personal genetics education project
Real Families impacted by PGD:
Molly and Adam Nash and the Hashmis
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/955000/images/_955928_nash150.jpg
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/08/01/nivf101.jpg
personal genetics education project
What % of IVF clinics provide testing for the following reasons?
aneuploidy
autosomal disorders
chromosomal rearrangement
X-linked diseases
non-medical sex selection
avoid adult-onset disease
HLA typing
HLA typing w/o single gene test
Select for a disability
personal genetics education project
Public attitudes regarding acceptable uses of PGD:
fatal
HLA match adult onset
disease
sex
Intelligence/
strength
personal genetics education project
Opinion poll: What role, if any, should the US
government play in regulating preimplantation
genetic diagnosis (PGD)?
Supports no
government
regulation
Thinks government
should regulate
ethics
only
Believes
government
should regulate
safety, quality
and ethics
Wants a total ban
on PGD
Supports
government
regulation of
safety and
quality
Discussion Questions
• What are the potential opportunities and
challenges of PGD?
• Now that we’ve discussed the issue a bit, did
you change your opinion about whether you’d
want to choose certain traits for your child?
• If your parents used this on you - should they
tell you? Or is it no big deal?
• Do we need rules to guide how this is used? If
yes, what sort of rules? Whose job would it be to
enforce them?
personal genetics education project
For more information, please visit us at www.pged.org
personal genetics education project