Avoid “unproven and unethical” polygenic risk scores in embryo selection, say genetics experts

Geneticists have warned the public against buying polygenic risk score analyses, which some private fertility clinics claim can help in selecting embryos that carry the least risk of future disease.

No evidence shows that these tests can predict the likelihood of an unborn child being liable to a specific disease in the future, representatives from the European Society of Human Genetics wrote in the European Journal of Human Genetics.1

Polygenic risk score analysis is mainly offered by fertility clinics in the US, although the practice is also being promoted …