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Polygenic embryo screening could identify health risks. But what are the drawbacks?

There’s a new type of genetic testing known as polygenic embryo screening which promises to identify the risk of developing conditions like cancer, obesity and autism. But researchers are cautious. What would it mean for our culture if parents started to wield this power?

It’s Been A Minute’s Brittany Luse spent some time diving into that exact question with Vardit Ravitsky, senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School and president of the Hastings Center, a non-partisan bioethics research center, and Katie Hasson, associate director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a nonprofit public affairs organization that advocates for responsible use of genetic technology.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR