【2024/5/27,29】Phoenix International Center MIRAI CREA, Hiroshima University (29th:Online) ELSI Study Group “Ethics of Hereditary Tumors and PGT-M”
Speaker:
Tsutomu Sawai Specially Recognized Professor(Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University)
Rie Iizuka, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor(Center for Collaborative Sciences, Headquarters for Co-creative Future Sciences)
Preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic/single gene defects (PGT-M) targeting hereditary diseases aims to prevent the birth of children with severe genetic disorders, benefiting patients suffering from illnesses and their families. However, this technology also enables the avoidance of children with undesirable traits as perceived by parents, raising significant ethical concerns in bioethics regarding the selection of life. Currently, it is governed solely by regulations from the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) without public oversight, limited to members of the academic community, and lacks legal basis. This paper discusses the ethical issues arising from this current situation.