Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

academic.oup.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 520 posts

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#41

Post by arjie »

issafram wrote: post #13

I read the abstract but I'm still a bit confused. Will this help people who have down syndrome? Or is it a way to help future pregnancies?

The realistic reading is that: In the future, a treatment based on this technique could help parents going through IVF rescue more embryos from trisomy-21.

Considering that scope, the people for whom this could be useful are those who have very few embryos, one or more of which have trisomy-21. With a young couple, they will have many embryos and preimplantation genetic testing will reveal trisomy-21 early enough that even if they have fertility issues they can just run more rounds of IVF.

With an older couple or one with severe fertility issues, they may only have one or two embryos to work with.

This is all science-fiction, though, since a technique like this will require a lot of work (both in development and in regulation) before it can go live.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#42

Post by chrisweekly »

heavyset_go wrote: post #23
wileydragonfly wrote: post #2

This will never go to human trial.

Willing to bet money that it will, there's a ton of investment right now in what I'd call blatant eugenics. There are companies right now making bank on embryo selection based on genetics, the next step is modifying genes instead of rolling a crap shoot and hoping to get what they want. Funnily enough, such companies are funded by and led by some HN subcultures' favorite people, I would know because I was recruited b…

"went out of their way to not mention"

This construct is a bit of a head-scratcher that takes away from the rest of your comment; "failed to mention" would've done the trick. As for Gattaca as a source of inspiration for future parents... yikes.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#43

Post by zem »

loeg wrote: post #35
RajT88 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not advocating any course in particular. But I will observe that when such treatments become available, such conditions become a marker of lower socioeconomic class and the people with the conditions get treated less well by society. This is why we need a better healthcare system.

It's hard to imagine a treatment cost so high that it wouldn't be worth the USG paying for it. Down syndrome kids and adults have some quantifiable economic cost; normal adults are worth some other quantifiable economic benefit; the difference is going to be significantly more than the cost of treatment.

the us government is often driven not by cost/benefit analysis, but by the horror of someone poor getting something without "deserving" it

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#44

Post by toast0 »

heavyset_go wrote: post #23
wileydragonfly wrote: post #2

This will never go to human trial.

Willing to bet money that it will, there's a ton of investment right now in what I'd call blatant eugenics. There are companies right now making bank on embryo selection based on genetics, the next step is modifying genes instead of rolling a crap shoot and hoping to get what they want. Funnily enough, such companies are funded by and led by some HN subcultures' favorite people, I would know because I was recruited b…

It'a already possible to test for trisomy in a fetus. There's a newish method (NIPT) that does analysis on maternal blood which has very low risk (it's named non-invasive, but drawing blood is routine but not risk free). Having a treatment, if it's feasible, might be more (or less) paletable than ending the pregnancy when diagnostics indicate likely trisomy.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#45

Post by renewiltord »

heavyset_go wrote: post #23
wileydragonfly wrote: post #2

This will never go to human trial.

Willing to bet money that it will, there's a ton of investment right now in what I'd call blatant eugenics. There are companies right now making bank on embryo selection based on genetics, the next step is modifying genes instead of rolling a crap shoot and hoping to get what they want. Funnily enough, such companies are funded by and led by some HN subcultures' favorite people, I would know because I was recruited b…

IQ polygenic score companies do exist. Just look at the circle around Jonathan Anomaly and you likely will find them all. I know of a couple that are going to go full open this year.

You have to be of the right genetic origin because of the source data, but the truth is it's very risky to do embryo editing. It's hard to tell which way things will land. For all we know, gametogenesis may arrive first. And if that happens, then selection will suffice.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#47

Post by jader201 »

tumnus wrote: post #33
gerdesj wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As soon as someone starts ascribing towards a "normal" and using the pronoun "them", warning bells should go berserk.

The word "them" has been used for centuries in cases where the writer may want to refer to a subject, or subjects, of no specific gender. I wonder why it's suddenly bothering you.

I think the parent’s point was that “them” is referring to a group that is “other than normal”, and that that should raise caution. (Not agreeing or disagreeing, simply trying to infer the meaning.)

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#48

Post by loeg »

macintux wrote: post #39
loeg wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to imagine a treatment cost so high that it wouldn't be worth the USG paying for it. Down syndrome kids and adults have some quantifiable economic cost; normal adults are worth some other quantifiable economic benefit; the difference is going to be significantly more than the cost of treatment.

It's hard to imagine a treatment cost so low that the USG would pay for it.

Medicaid is 9% of the Federal budget.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#49

Post by Barrin92 »

SegfaultSeagull wrote: post #37

[flagged]

it wouldn't, if the implication of you wondering is supposed to be if someone will find and treat a "gay gene". Homosexuality is (like almost all complex traits[1]) influenced by thousands of genes in addition to environmental, social, cultural factors etc.

[1] https://www.quantamagazine.org/omnigenic-model-suggests-that...

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#50

Post by lurking_swe »

gerdesj wrote: post #21
whatshisface wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's better for them should be the overriding concern and that's to have a normal development.

As soon as someone starts ascribing towards a "normal" and using the pronoun "them", warning bells should go berserk.

genetics doesn’t care about your feelings. If a human has the genetic issue (issue with cell division on a specific chromosome…i forget which one), they’ll typically have severe developmental challenges in childhood. And if unlucky, end up nonverbal.

I’m pretty sure most scientists would consider being able to communicate effectively with your own species, “normal”. Regardless of what animal you are. Just like it’s normal to have 5 fingers as a human. But some humans have more or less. That’s just…life.

No need to be unnecessarily sensationalist. I do agree that using the term “normal” should give someone pause. But warning bells? Depends on context…like everything in life. :)

Post reply on HN