LAW, ETHICS, AND MEDICINE

Preimplantation HLA typing: having children to save our loved ones

K Devolder

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Katrien Devolder
Ghent University, Centre for Environmental Philosophy and Bioethics, Blandijnberg 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; katrien.devolder{at}Ugent.be

Preimplantation tissue typing has been proposed as a method for creating a tissue matched child that can serve as a haematopoietic stem cell donor to save its sick sibling in need of a stem cell transplant. Despite recent promising results, many people have expressed their disapproval of this method. This paper addresses the main concerns of these critics: the risk of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for the child to be born; the intention to have a donor child; the limits that should be placed on what may be done to the donor child, and whether the intended recipient can be someone other than a sibling. The author will show that these concerns do not constitute a sufficient ground to forbid people to use this technique to save not only a sibling, but also any other loved one’s life. Finally, the author briefly deals with two alternative scenarios: the creation of a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched child as an insurance policy, and the banking of HLA matched embryos.

Abbreviations: DBA, diamond blackfan anaemia; HLA, human leukocyte antigen, HSC, haematopoietic stem cell; PGD, preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Keywords: histocompatibility testing; preimplantation diagnosis; haematopoietic stem cells; tissue donors; embryo

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Turillazzi, E, Fineschi, V (2008). Preimplantation genetic diagnosis: a step by step guide to recent Italian ethical and legislative troubles. J. Med. Ethics 34: e21-e21 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Slowther, A. (2008). Selection of embryos. Clin Ethics 3: 60-62 [Full Text]  
• El-Toukhy, T., Williams, C., Braude, P. (2008). The ethics of preimplantation genetic diagnosis. The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist 10: 49-54 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

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JME Online, 17 Oct 2005 [Full text]