UK in vitro fertilisation (IVF) team plans to screen for cancer
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The in vitro fertilisation unit at London's Hammersmith Hospital is about to start screening test tube embryos for cancer genes. The group, led by Professor Robert Winston, will use PCR to look for APC mutations in cells taken from three-day-old embryos. Prof Winston acknowledges the ethical problems of genetic selection but argues that pre-implantation screening is better than abortion following amniocentesis.