Designer babies may become a reality

While designer babies – a slang term referring to aspects of genetic engineering – are not yet a reality, with the ever-increasing advancements in genetic technology the probability is not far off.

Recently, a genomics company in California called 23andMe were awarded a patent for a technology that could possibly create babies with selected traits. The idea is that “good” genes would be selected beforehand and the embryos modified to boost the possibility of a child bearing specific cosmetic attributes, intelligence levels or athletic ability.

The company explained on their website: “A couple months ago we were awarded a patent which we applied for more than five years ago and which relates to one of the tools we offer individuals as part of their genetic exploration. The tool – Family Traits Inheritance Calculator – offers an engaging way for you and your partner to see what kind of traits your child might inherit from you.”

Image courtesy stock.xchnge (monigirl)

The Family Traits Inheritance Calculator works out the probability that the hypothetical offspring will have a particular combination of genotypes (genetic make-up of a cell) and traits. First, the company calculates the probabilities of all possible genotypes, and then translate those results into the likelihood of each trait occurring again. This goal, however, differs from the overall specifications in the patent.

“The patent recently granted is for technology that could theoretically work in the opposite direction of the Family Traits Calculator,” says Jayne Lucke, Associate Professor at The University of Queensland.

“First, you select the trait, or combination of traits, you want to have in the hypothetical offspring. Secondly, you use the computer program to work out which egg and sperm (presumably from a bank of possible gametes) is most likely to combine to create those traits.”

Based on this possibility the company received a great deal of public backlash from people who viewed the process as unethical. With this in mind, Jacob Sherkow, an expert on biotechnology patents at Stanford University’s law school, says: “Test tube babies were seen as an abomination, but today they are routine and boring. 23andMe’s patent is a shot across the bows that this is what the future is going to look like.”

Lucke goes on to explain: “The patent has sparked controversy because people feel it implies that the technology to create ‘designer babies’ is well developed, approved and even actually happening. None of these assumptions are, in fact, correct. It’s important to remember that there are only certain traits that can be predicted with any certainty.

“For most traits people might want to select, such as high intelligence or sporting ability, the final result is a complicated combination of genes and environment. So, in practice, it’s not possible to get the type of designer baby we might see created in science fiction films.

Image courtesy: Stock.xchng.

“In many jurisdictions the technology would not be allowed under current regulations. For example, in Australia we have
the National Health and Medical Research Council Ethical Guidelines on the Use of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Clinical Practice and Research,” says Sherkow

An anonymous post on debate.org says: “I think that the only reason we should be messing with genetics is if it’s going to do some good. If we’re just creating the ‘perfect’ baby for the sake of it being the smartest, most athletic or prettiest, that’s just superficial and selfish.”

23andMe affirms that the company never pursued the concepts discussed in the patent beyond the Family Traits Inheritance Calculator, nor do they have any plans to do so. On a more positive note, the technology can be used for good, in that it could also be used to create healthier babies by screening out genes that are predisposed to disease. They may also be able to cure genetic diseases in embryos by replacing them with healthy DNA.

Dr Julian Cockbain, a European patent attorney points out that the “selection to avoid disease-related genes seems very likely to become a mainstream practice. Selection for cosmetic reasons –appearance, personality, athletic abilities – seems less so.”

Specific diseases can already be prevented using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis as part of in vitro fertilisation. Pre-implantation diagnosis is a method that tests a three-day-old embryo to determine if it carries any particular diseases. Only the healthy embryos will be chosen for implantation. Some clinics also use this technology to choose the gender of a child.