Genetic diseases that can be prevented by IVF
IVF is a kind of assisted reproductive technology, which has been widely used in many countries. IVF technology can avoid the transmission of some genetic diseases by screening embryos during in vitro fertilization and embryo culture. The following will introduce some common genetic diseases that can be prevented by IVF technology in detail from four aspects.
Down syndrome
Down syndrome is a genetic disease caused by chromosomal abnormalities, and patients often show symptoms such as mental retardation, facial abnormalities and heart disease. In vitro baby technology can screen embryos without Down syndrome through embryonic gene testing, and improve the probability of healthy birth of infants. Some IVF clinics, such as the San Francisco IVF Center in the United States, can provide this gene screening service.
Down syndrome is caused by the third chromosome (triploid) of the 21st pair of chromosomes. It can be screened by primary embryo screening, embryo chromosome karyotype analysis and other methods. These techniques are aimed at screening healthy hermaphroditic haploid embryos to avoid the genetic risk of Down syndrome.
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disease, which mainly affects the respiratory system and digestive system. If both parents carry cystic fibrosis gene mutations, their children may suffer from this disease. In vitro baby technology can screen out embryos without cystic fibrosis gene mutation through embryonic gene detection to avoid the transmission of the disease.
For example, the Evanton Clinic in London, England, uses the latest gene screening technology to carry out blastocyst transfer after IVF and eliminate the genetic risk of cystic fibrosis by screening the embryo gene. This preventive screening technology greatly reduces the risk of patients worried about the disease during pregnancy.
hemophilia
Hemophilia is a group of hereditary hemorrhagic diseases. The patients lack some coagulation factors in their plasma and are prone to bleeding. In vitro baby technology can screen embryos without hemophilia gene mutation through embryo gene detection, so as to reduce the risk of disease.
For example, Roslin Institute in Australia has developed a new screening technology, which can extract DNA from one or several cells after IVF, and determine whether the embryo carries hemophilia gene by detecting the mutation of coagulation factor gene. The establishment of this method has greatly improved the reproductive health of hemophilia families.
Hereditary cancer
Hereditary cancer is cancer caused by gene mutation, which may be inherited in families. In vitro baby technology can screen embryos without cancer related gene mutations through embryonic gene testing, so as to reduce the risk of disease. IVF clinics in different countries have the capability of gene screening. For example, the MDR Reproductive Center in Seoul, South Korea, provides cancer related gene testing services.
In general, IVF technology can help prevent some common genetic diseases, such as Down's syndrome, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and hereditary cancer, through embryonic gene testing. This technology provides a new choice for many families who want to have healthy babies.
