A study from Hokkaido University reports that rapid advances in polygenic embryo testing are moving assisted reproduction from traditional disease prevention toward prediction of complex traits, creating new ethical and regulatory challenges. The findings were published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health.
In the more than four decades since in vitro fertilization (IVF) was introduced, it has helped more than 10 million people worldwide to be born, according to estimates from the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies. During this period, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) gradually became an important step. It was initially used mainly to screen for single-gene disorders such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia, helping prevent serious inherited diseases from being passed to the next generation.
As genomic technologies advance, however, the scope of PGT is rapidly expanding. Professor Tetsuya Ishii noted that research and commercial practice have begun exploring polygenic scores to predict complex traits that embryos may develop, including intelligence and the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or Alzheimer's disease in adulthood.
Unlike single-gene disorders, these complex traits usually result from the combined effects of many genes and are influenced by factors such as environment and lifestyle. Polygenic scores integrate data from many genetic variants to statistically predict a person's genetic predisposition to a trait, but they do not account for environmental factors or later development.
“Ishii noted that these predictions remain inherently highly uncertain, and genetic information alone cannot accurately predict a person's future characteristics.”
Regulation of polygenic embryo screening varies considerably by country. In the United States, the technology has been commercially available since 2019, and some fertility centers offer it to interested families. Surveys indicate that many Americans support using polygenic scores to reduce disease risk, and some are open to selecting nonmedical traits.
Many European countries take a more cautious approach. Germany and Italy permit embryo testing only to prevent serious genetic disease, while the United Kingdom does not currently allow polygenic scores to be used for embryo selection. Regulation remains unclear in many other countries, leaving room for wider use.
The challenges extend beyond scientific uncertainty to multiple ethical risks. Parents may develop unrealistic expectations of future children based on imperfect predictions. The technology could also deepen social bias toward certain traits and reinforce eugenic ideas by treating children as products that can be “designed.”
As the gap widens between public acceptance and professional caution, policymakers face new pressure. Some prospective parents are open to or enthusiastic about the technology, while medical and genetics professionals generally remain cautious about its clinical value and ethical limits.
Ishii emphasized that policymakers should take a preventive regulatory approach in this rapidly developing field, establishing clear standards before the technology becomes widespread and strengthening public education about the limits of genetic prediction.
As assisted reproductive technology continues to evolve, the distinction between what can be done and what should be done will become increasingly important. Polygenic embryo screening now sits at that critical boundary.
News | Polygenic embryo screening raises ethical concerns as technology moves beyond disease prevention
News | Polygenic embryo screening raises ethical concerns as technology moves beyond disease prevention
A study from Hokkaido University reports that rapid advances in polygenic embryo testing are moving assisted reproduction from traditional disease prevention toward prediction of complex traits, creating new ethical and regulatory challenges. The findings were published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health.
In the more than four decades since in vitro fertilization (IVF) was introduced, it has helped more than 10 million people worldwide to be born, according to estimates from the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies. During this period, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) gradually became an important step. It was initially used mainly to screen for single-gene disorders such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia, helping prevent serious inherited diseases from being passed to the next generation.
As genomic technologies advance, however, the scope of PGT is rapidly expanding. Professor Tetsuya Ishii noted that research and commercial practice have begun exploring polygenic scores to predict complex traits that embryos may develop, including intelligence and the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or Alzheimer's disease in adulthood.
Unlike single-gene disorders, these complex traits usually result from the combined effects of many genes and are influenced by factors such as environment and lifestyle. Polygenic scores integrate data from many genetic variants to statistically predict a person's genetic predisposition to a trait, but they do not account for environmental factors or later development.
“Ishii noted that these predictions remain inherently highly uncertain, and genetic information alone cannot accurately predict a person's future characteristics.”
Regulation of polygenic embryo screening varies considerably by country. In the United States, the technology has been commercially available since 2019, and some fertility centers offer it to interested families. Surveys indicate that many Americans support using polygenic scores to reduce disease risk, and some are open to selecting nonmedical traits.
Many European countries take a more cautious approach. Germany and Italy permit embryo testing only to prevent serious genetic disease, while the United Kingdom does not currently allow polygenic scores to be used for embryo selection. Regulation remains unclear in many other countries, leaving room for wider use.
The challenges extend beyond scientific uncertainty to multiple ethical risks. Parents may develop unrealistic expectations of future children based on imperfect predictions. The technology could also deepen social bias toward certain traits and reinforce eugenic ideas by treating children as products that can be “designed.”
As the gap widens between public acceptance and professional caution, policymakers face new pressure. Some prospective parents are open to or enthusiastic about the technology, while medical and genetics professionals generally remain cautious about its clinical value and ethical limits.
Ishii emphasized that policymakers should take a preventive regulatory approach in this rapidly developing field, establishing clear standards before the technology becomes widespread and strengthening public education about the limits of genetic prediction.
As assisted reproductive technology continues to evolve, the distinction between what can be done and what should be done will become increasingly important. Polygenic embryo screening now sits at that critical boundary.
Source:
Compiled from online sources