Companies Offer Polygenic Embryo Screening for Health Risks and Traits
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Companies like Herasight, Orchid Health, and Nucleus Genomics now offer polygenic embryo screening, a genetic test that estimates an embryo's chances of developing thousands of illnesses and certain traits. The process involves extracting DNA from embryo cells, sequencing it, and generating risk scores via complex algorithms. These companies report having already screened thousands of embryos and helped create dozens or hundreds of genetically screened babies.
Facts First
- Polygenic embryo screening estimates risks for illnesses including Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
- Companies also predict traits such as height, BMI, longevity, IQ, eye color, hair color, and propensity for baldness and acne.
- The screening process involves extracting DNA from embryo cells, sequencing the full genome, and analyzing it with complex algorithms.
- Companies report having scored thousands of embryos for hundreds of prospective parents and helped create dozens or hundreds of screened babies.
- The service can cost up to $50,000 in addition to the costs of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
What Happened
Companies including Herasight, Orchid Health, and Nucleus Genomics are offering polygenic embryo screening services. Herasight, named after the Greek fertility goddess Hera, operates a lab in Morrisville, N.C., where scientists process saliva, blood, and embryo cells to extract DNA for sequencing. The process uses genetic sequencers to spell out an embryo's full three-billion-letter genetic sequence to generate polygenic risk scores, which are numerical estimates of the chances of developing certain diseases and traits.
Why this Matters to You
If you are considering fertility treatments like IVF, you now have access to a service that may provide detailed genetic information about potential embryos. This could influence your family planning decisions by offering estimates for a wide range of health risks, from Tay-Sachs and cystic fibrosis to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. The service also provides predictions for traits like height, BMI, longevity, and IQ. However, accessing this technology requires undergoing IVF, and the screening itself could cost up to $50,000 in addition to IVF expenses.
What's Next
The technology is part of a broader suite futurists refer to as the 'Gattaca Stack,' which may eventually include embryo editing, artificial wombs, and lab-grown eggs and sperm. As companies like Nucleus Genomics run advertising campaigns, the practice could become more widespread. Its adoption is likely to depend on continued technological refinement, regulatory developments, and societal acceptance.