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Screening Embryos for Psychiatric Conditions: Public Perspectives, Ethical and Social Issues
Collection Editor(s):
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Introduction
Show moreThe number of genomic loci identified to be associated with psychiatric disorders have substantially increased over the last decade. Alongside developments in polygenic embryo screening (PES; or PGT-P), the use of polygenic risk scores (PRS) to predict the genetic likelihood of polygenic traits (e.g., height, skin tone) and conditions (e.g., psychiatric disorders), it is now possible to screen embryos intended for invitro fertilization for genetic risk of psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia or autism spectrum disorders. Private companies have started to offer PES for some psychiatric conditions; however, many ethical issues have been raised in the academic literature.
Concerns about the use of PES broadly have included little evidence of clinical utility, limited portability of the PRS used in PES to populations underrepresented in the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on which they are based, potential for exacerbating healthcare disparities, and impacts on patient autonomy. In addition to these issues, PES for psychiatric disorders may bring forth additional ethical matters that warrant careful consideration given the potential for exacerbating stigma…
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Suggested Citation
Lázaro-Muñoz, G., & Merner, A. (2024). Screening embryos for psychiatric conditions: Public perspectives, ethical and social Issues. In ELSIhub Collections. Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis (CERA). https://doi.org/10.25936/zesc-f326
About ELSIhub Collections
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ELSIhub Collections are essential reading lists on fundamental or emerging topics in ELSI, curated and explained by expert Collection Editors, often paired with ELSI trainees. This series assembles materials from cross-disciplinary literatures to enable quick access to key information.