Court of Appeal allows tissue typing for human embryos under strict conditions
08 April 2003
The HFEA welcomes the Court of Appeals decision to allow tissue typing in the course of IVF where the embryo is already being tested for serious genetic disease
A small percentage of embryos are currently tested before they are implanted (preimplantation genetic diagnosis, PGD) to check that they are free from serious genetic diseases like Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy or Beta Thalassaemia.
Some couples are now able to use tissue typing to make sure that any PGD tested embryos used in IVF treatment are compatible with a seriously ill older brother or sister. At birth, tissue compatible stem cells from the baby's umbilical cord may be used to save the life of their sibling.
Suzi Leather, HFEA Chair, said:
"The HFEA has made a considered and correct judgement and we are pleased that the Court of Appeal has upheld our decision. This means that the Hashmi family can continue with their treatment. Clearly clinicians cannot always prevent disease but if they are able to and also save the life of a sibling, then this is a legitimate use of these new techniques."
Ends
Notes to editors
This judgement follows a judicial review of a policy decision by the HFEA to permit licensed centres to carry out HLA tissue typing in conjunction with PGD. The HFEA's policy decision was successfully challenged by Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE) and the HFEA wrote to clinics on the 20th December 2002 prohibiting further use of tissue typing of embryos until further notice.
Background
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) involves the removal of a cell from an embryo created by in vitro fertilisation. The cell is then tested to see if the embryo carries a genetic disorder. This is usually three days after fertilisation when the embryo has six to ten cells. Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) tissue typing is an additional test on the cell to determine the tissue compatibility of embryos free from the disorder with an existing sibling.
Tissue typing can be carried out on the same cells that are removed for PGD so there is no extra risk for the embryo
Ten clinics currently hold an HFEA licence to carry out PGD. So far there are only three couples who have expressed an interest in using tissue typing with PGD and as a result one licence have been granted by the HFEA which up to now has been frozen.
In this country there have so far been no successful pregnancies as a result of IVF with PGD and tissue typing, but PGD with tissue typing is currently on offer in some other countries e.g. USA and Australia.
The HFEA's principal tasks are to licence and monitor clinics that carry out assisted reproductive techniques, in vitro fertilisation (IVF), donor insemination (DI) and human embryo research. The HFEA also regulates the storage of sperm, eggs and embryos.
The HFEA's Code of Practice is intended to safeguard the interests of patients and children, the wider public and future generations.
For further information please contact the HFEA press office.
Page last updated: 12 March 2009