5. Debate: Embryo Research: The Ethics of Embryo Research

Research on the embryo offers the prospect of important medical advances. The first and most immediate prospect is in improving the success rate of in vitro fertilization. Without the prospect of such improvement, it may be doubted if the muchapplauded IVF program is worth the resources now being allocated to it. Embryo research is also needed to ensure that embryos created from frozen human ova will develop normally, and to test techniques for micro-injection of sperm directly into the ovum, which could overcome the problem of male infertility due to low sperm count or abnormal sperm. The next area of research will be into the prevention of genetic defects. If defects can be identified in early embryos, couples who carry defective genes and would otherwise seek testing during pregnancy, followed by abortion if the test is positive, will be able to use IVF followed by the transfer only of those embryos that are free from the defect. Further research may lead to the development of gene therapy, which could be effective in those cases where an individual has already been born with a single-gene defect like thalassemia, sickle-cell anemia, ADA and PNP deficiencies, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.