Breast cancer embryo gene screen is welcome step forward

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 26th Apr 2007

Commenting on news of the first applications to the HFEA for pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos for whether they carry the breast cancer gene BRCA1 which leads to an increased risk of breast cancer in adult life, Dr Evan Harris Liberal Democrat Science spokesman, said:

"This is a really welcome development - that parents can use new technology to seek to ensure that children they have do not have to undergo the disease and risk of early death that other family members have had to endure"

"It is not a slippery downward slope. In my view the incline is upwards as we improve the health of the population and help parents facing very difficult decisions and - far from sliding anywhere - each step upward is governed by law and carefully regulated."

"Claiming that PGD for medical conditions means we will allow "designer babies" is unfounded sensationalism used as a cover by those who are opposed to all embryo selection and all embryo research for their own ethical reasons."

"While PGD always means that affected embryos are created and then destroyed, IVF already means that many more healthy early embryos are also discarded."