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The development of a universal embryo test that can detect almost any genetic disease is a landmark in medical science's ability to help couples touched by inherited illness to have healthy children.
While it has been possible since 1989 to screen embryos for certain hereditary conditions, using a technique called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), its scope has always been limited by technological constraints.
With the fresh approach, known as karyomapping, doctors will be able to offer this service to couples affected even by very rare conditions, on a much faster timescale than is possible at present.
Karyomapping builds on the standard PGD procedure, which was developed by the same doctor, Alan Handyside, in the late 1980s. In PGD, embryos are created by IVF, and when they have grown to eight cells a single cell is removed from each embryo for genetic analysis. Only unaffected embryos are then implanted into the womb.
This can already be done for about 350 genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease. Its use is limited, however, because scientists must first identify the precise...
While it has been possible since 1989 to screen embryos for certain hereditary conditions, using a technique called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), its scope has always been limited by technological constraints.
With the fresh approach, known as karyomapping, doctors will be able to offer this service to couples affected even by very rare conditions, on a much faster timescale than is possible at present.
Karyomapping builds on the standard PGD procedure, which was developed by the same doctor, Alan Handyside, in the late 1980s. In PGD, embryos are created by IVF, and when they have grown to eight cells a single cell is removed from each embryo for genetic analysis. Only unaffected embryos are then implanted into the womb.
This can already be done for about 350 genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease. Its use is limited, however, because scientists must first identify the precise...