Orphaned at Conception

Earlier this year, Dr. Robert Sparrow published a paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics entitled "In Vitro Eugenics." In it, Sparrow explores the possibility of creating generations of human beings in the laboratory.He explains that the stem cells from embryos could be used to make egg and sperm cells, which, in turn, could create more embryos.This would bring human reproduction into the laboratory not just for one generation, but for generation after generation. Sparrow explains that these embryos would be "orphaned at conception." They "would have no genetic parents: There would be no living individual … who could be described as the genetic progenitor of such embryos."Sparrow calls this new possibility in human reproduction "in vitro eugenics."While this sounds like something that could only happen in science fiction, producing egg and sperm from stem cells is now a reality. Scientists have already accomplished this in mice and are discussing doing the same in humans.Why would anyone want to create multiple human generations in a laboratory?Sparrow suggests it could become a "method to bring into existence children with a desired genotype."Continue reading at the National Catholic Register >>
Source: Mary Meets Dolly - Category: Geneticists and Genetics Commentators Tags: Reproductive Technologies Source Type: blogs