[Scheinmoral]

Hey I am male 25. I d love to have childs one day but I d give a lot to have them not suffer from any kind of diseases. g.e. I am badly short sighted and have acne. I know this multifactorial genes diseases genes are not known yet but I hope so.

What I really would love is some information on what is possible yet.

1) Its possible to eliminate bad genes out of male genom (sperms) before melting it together with female egg cell thats what I am pretty sure about.
2) Is it also possible to eliminate the females bad genes as far as they are known from the female egg cell ?
3) If yes it should be possible to create more or less life without any diseases as far as the "bad genes" are known.
4) What does it cost for a full human genome sequence currently ?
5) How much would it cost to check this genome of me and a female for any known genes that might cause a disease ?
6) Someone got websites where attractive and healthy females offer their egg cells ?
7) Where you might get a surrogate mother from ? any websites known ?

And please dont start a discussion about morality. I know what I want and I want to create childs without disease. Dont tell me thats bad. Dont tell me this will end like in the movie gattaca. In fact thats exactly what I am hoping for as far as the current technology can offer that yet.

[BojanaL]

Perfect baby

All people that are planning to become parents wish to have perfectly healthy baby. Besides that, if possible, baby should be beautiful, intelligent, athletically built, friendly and capable for accomplishing successful career in the future.

It all started in 1978 with first baby from a test tube, and today, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is part of our life. Around 1,5 million of IVF cycles are performed each year and they result in ~350.000 healthy born babies. Success rate of this method is ~30% and so far ~5 million babies from a tube are born. In developed countries, 3% of all babies born annually are those conceived in the tube. People choose to undergo IVF due to increased risk of genetically inherited diseases, sterility, previous cases of miscarriages or because they already have children with genetic anomalies.

Medical care professionals in specialized clinics offer wide variety of preimplantation genetic diagnostics/screening (PGD/PGS) methods thanks to improved technology in the past couple of years. List of genes that could be tested increased so greatly that future parents can practically design flawless baby. In the beginning, PGD was used to identify embryos with severe (or life threatening) genetic disorders by checking individual genes and chromosomal aberration. If tests show that there is no risk of serious illnesses - baby would be implanted in the women’s womb. Today, list of diseases and non-medical conditions expanded due to increased interest for creation of perfect babies. Recently developed microchip can screen ~1500 genetic traits, such as color of the eyes, height, athletic abilities, type of skin, several genes for intelligence, hearth conditions, lactose intolerance and susceptibility to alcohol and nicotine dependence. But, even with all these tests, there is no guarantee that baby will be as perfect as you might want it to be.

PGD methods are performed on a three days old embryo (that consists of 8 cells) by extracting two cells. These cells contain both mother’s and father’s genes that could be tested easily. Using the FISH method, number of chromosomes will be determined. Most famous and most devastating aneuploidies can be prevented by checking chromosomes X, Y, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 21 and 22. If the number of chromosomes is ok, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is used to determine specific genes suspected of being altered (from spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia to fragile X syndrome). Error in PGD is high due to increased rate of mosaicism in the early stage of embryonic development. Mosaicism is a phenomenon where two or more cell populations have different genotypes even though all cells originate from a single cell. One study showed that 75% of 800 tested embryos have mosaicism. 17.5% of discarded embryos (due to registered abnormality), turned out to have normal cells in post-PGD testing. All together, these methods have few limitations: they are not 100% sure and they may lead to discarding perfectly healthy cells (embryos) due to increased rate of mosaicism in the preimplantation stage.

Methods that screen precise genes are more precise (and more expensive). There are over 8 billion genetic combinations and there is no guarantee that all genes will work perfectly or that embryo wouldn’t suffer mutation while developing in uterus. Besides, risk of miscarriage is always associated with IVF and it can’t be decreased even if you pick a perfect genome.

I don’t want to lecture you - if you have money and clear idea in your head - you can do whatever you want, but maybe you should consider few things before you rush to the clinic to create a perfect human being.
Mutations exist for a reason. They are natural way of producing new and beneficial genetic traits that could help you survive and prolong your species. Some of them, even though harmful in some aspects of your life can be life-saving in other. Typical example is a gene for sickle cell anemia. Carriers of this gene are much more immune to malaria than those that don’t carry the gene. One of the leading geneticists in the California was born with incurable genetic condition called epidermolysis bullosa simplex. Disease is associated with formation of painful skin blisters when person is exposed to heat and friction. Due to his condition, he didn’t have normal childhood and he dedicated his life to genetic investigation that resulted in very successful carrier and highly profitable clinic that perform preimplantation genetic testing. His illness, although severe, determined a course of his life and made him famous, respected and rich. Today he wears protective suite that allows him to spend time outside without worrying about his skin.

Genes determine who you are and personally, I believe that nothing in this world is perfect. If you get a perfectly healthy child, that is not a guarantee of his or yours happiness or improved quality life. I don’t think that disease should be tolerated and accepted as inevitable part of human life, but if something is seriously wrong with baby’s genome - nature will reject it very soon in the beginning of the pregnancy. In all other cases, modern technology can help you deal with all diseases (even acne and bad sight). Besides, I don’t believe that anyone prefers IVF more than old fashion baby making.

[Scheinmoral]

thanks for your long reply.

8 billion is really high. i didnt knew that.
i know about sickle cell anemia and such stuff. but i think its still better to delete a disease causing gene even if it might give advantage in another case. i guess any of such genes might be replaced by evolution or genetic engineering one day easily. if humanity wants to save these genes then just implement them into plants, animals whatever in the labority so humanity can use them if its necessary.

"modern technology can help you deal with all diseases (even acne and bad sight)". no. i use antibiotics and used 3 year accutane. there might come some virus on the market so maybe a new symptom killing medicine. but however no medicine and technology has really cured.

besides that you are right with everything you say and of course most would prefer the old fashion baby making yes. still it doesnt give much answers to my questions.