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The technology in Gattaca is already among us. Parents screen their DNA to find out if they have any hereditary diseases. It's estimated that there won't be an

The technology in Gattaca is already among us. Parents screen their DNA to find out if they have any hereditary diseases. It's estimated that there won't be anyone with Down syndrome in a few decades.

kjs3 3y ago
It's estimated that there won't be anyone with Down syndrome in a few decades. Estimated by who? Perhaps in the places where parents have enough access to enough prenatal health care and/or enough disposable income for the test and the procedure. Or the places where legislatures aren't trying to make terminating a pregnancy under any circumstance murder. This will clearly come as a great surprise to you, but those conditions cover a very large percentage of humans. So, no, from a practical standpoint genetic diseases probably aren't going to magically go away any time soon no matter what technology exists to identify them.
aninteger 3y ago
While I'm terrible at predicting the future, I find this hard to believe. I think screening your DNA is something maybe upper/middle class parents might do. I do not believe it is being done by those that cannot afford it.
- eindiran 3y ago
  As William Gibson famously said, "The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed."
- n4r9 3y ago
  In the UK, the NHS runs scans and blood tests as standard procedure at around 12 weeks, which can indicate any risk of something like Downs syndrome. You can then be referred for amniocentesis if necessary, all free at point of service. I'm sure many other European countries are similar.
- wojciii 3y ago
  Scanning for Downs syndrome is default in Denmark where I live. It makes a lot of sense. You will get a probably of Downs syndrome. No one is aborting your baby - you can take an informed decision yourself. After birth a blood test is used for scanning for 25 rare known issues. https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/undersoegelse-og-behandling/find-undersoegelse-og-behandling/Sider/Haelblodproeve-1897175.aspx https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/undersoegelse-og-behandling/fi... -> in Danish. This is the same for everyone.
  - throwaway_l33t 3y ago
    > No one is aborting your baby - you can take an informed decision yourself. Of course, this is exactly the point of Gattaca: you won't be "forced" to do it, but you and your child will be punished for making the socially unacceptable "choice".
- twic 3y ago
  In the UK it's free if there is some reason to think you may be carrier: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genetic-and-genomic-testing/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genetic-and-genomic-testing/ As the cost of doing it comes down, i would expect it to be offered more widely. I don't know if it will ever be cheap enough to offer to all prospective parents. Oddly, the cost of doing genetic tests does not scale at all linearly: https://www.rbht.nhs.uk/sites/nhs/files/Laboratories/CGGL%20NHS%20price%20list.pdf https://www.rbht.nhs.uk/sites/nhs/files/Laboratories/CGGL%20... (eg a single arrhythmia test is £650 - £900, but the whole panel is £1000, and then it's only another £150 to do multiple panels) Meanwhile, sequencing a whole genome is ~$1000: https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/DNA-Sequencing-Costs-Data https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/DNA-Sequen... Perhaps a lot of the cost is sample preparation, and the actual molecular genetics bit is dirt cheap.
- throwup238 3y ago
  The genetic tests were already down to $1,000 retail per parent a decade ago at the company I worked at and it tested for hundreds of hereditary diseases. Those base tests are even cheaper now thanks to microarrays and the mid/high end has moved up to full genome sequencing. It won't be long before it's dirt cheap and standard in most countries, especially as the Affymetrix/Illumina patents expire and the genechips get commoditized.
twic 3y ago
Down syndrome is caused by a chromosomal aberration that comes about during formation of an egg, not a mutation. It's not possible to detect it by screening the parents' DNA.
- Metacelsus 3y ago
  But it is possible to detect by screening the embryo's DNA, which is currently happening. Still I don't think this technology will reach universal adoption within the next 50 years.
- dylan604 3y ago
  Perhaps this is why screening of the amniotic fluid to detect things about the parasite within the host is common?
  - Geisterde 3y ago
    What parasite?
    - dylan604 3y ago
      That parasite gestating inside the female host.
    - 0_____0 3y ago
      They're making a cheeky reference to the fetus. Don't think too hard about it.
      - Geisterde 3y ago
        I didnt, and I knew the answer ahead of time. I think thats an insane way of thinking about things, barbaric and cruel, but I would rather parent spells it out and I leave it at that. Its the internet, people can and should say what they really think, im just helping parent get there.
        3y ago
thatoneguy 3y ago
I went through IVF and I can't make babies that have my particular mutation in them (even though it's not apparently disease causing and unknown to science) unless I sign a shit ton of paperwork. So, we have to go with the Gattaca-y genomincally perfect embryos. Or conceive in the back of a car or something.
snowwrestler 3y ago
There are genetic screens for a few congenital disorders. A friend’s daughter was genetically screened for galactosemia and by catching it they almost certainly helped her have a normal life. But since Gattaca was released, we’ve just continued to learn that it’s likely impossible to predict the full capability of a person from only DNA. There are too many variables in how genes are expressed, and the social context in which each person finds themselves. That said, the real story of Gattaca is unjustified discrimination, and there are already plenty of technologies for that. So in that sense I think you’re right that it’s already among us. Just as it was in 1997… Gattaca is a pretty transparent allegory.
deadbabe 3y ago
In this tough world, bringing in a child with Down syndrome is committing to their lifelong care and carefully planning who will take over the job of caring for them when you die. Don’t do it.

kjs3 3y ago

It's estimated that there won't be anyone with Down syndrome in a few decades. Estimated by who? Perhaps in the places where parents have enough access to enough prenatal health care and/or enough disposable income for the test and the procedure. Or the places where legislatures aren't trying to make terminating a pregnancy under any circumstance murder. This will clearly come as a great surprise to you, but those conditions cover a very large percentage of humans. So, no, from a practical standpoint genetic diseases probably aren't going to magically go away any time soon no matter what technology exists to identify them.

aninteger 3y ago

While I'm terrible at predicting the future, I find this hard to believe. I think screening your DNA is something maybe upper/middle class parents might do. I do not believe it is being done by those that cannot afford it.

eindiran 3y ago
As William Gibson famously said, "The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed."
n4r9 3y ago
In the UK, the NHS runs scans and blood tests as standard procedure at around 12 weeks, which can indicate any risk of something like Downs syndrome. You can then be referred for amniocentesis if necessary, all free at point of service. I'm sure many other European countries are similar.
wojciii 3y ago
Scanning for Downs syndrome is default in Denmark where I live. It makes a lot of sense. You will get a probably of Downs syndrome. No one is aborting your baby - you can take an informed decision yourself. After birth a blood test is used for scanning for 25 rare known issues. https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/undersoegelse-og-behandling/find-undersoegelse-og-behandling/Sider/Haelblodproeve-1897175.aspx https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/undersoegelse-og-behandling/fi... -> in Danish. This is the same for everyone.
- throwaway_l33t 3y ago
  > No one is aborting your baby - you can take an informed decision yourself. Of course, this is exactly the point of Gattaca: you won't be "forced" to do it, but you and your child will be punished for making the socially unacceptable "choice".
twic 3y ago
In the UK it's free if there is some reason to think you may be carrier: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genetic-and-genomic-testing/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genetic-and-genomic-testing/ As the cost of doing it comes down, i would expect it to be offered more widely. I don't know if it will ever be cheap enough to offer to all prospective parents. Oddly, the cost of doing genetic tests does not scale at all linearly: https://www.rbht.nhs.uk/sites/nhs/files/Laboratories/CGGL%20NHS%20price%20list.pdf https://www.rbht.nhs.uk/sites/nhs/files/Laboratories/CGGL%20... (eg a single arrhythmia test is £650 - £900, but the whole panel is £1000, and then it's only another £150 to do multiple panels) Meanwhile, sequencing a whole genome is ~$1000: https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/DNA-Sequencing-Costs-Data https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/DNA-Sequen... Perhaps a lot of the cost is sample preparation, and the actual molecular genetics bit is dirt cheap.
throwup238 3y ago
The genetic tests were already down to $1,000 retail per parent a decade ago at the company I worked at and it tested for hundreds of hereditary diseases. Those base tests are even cheaper now thanks to microarrays and the mid/high end has moved up to full genome sequencing. It won't be long before it's dirt cheap and standard in most countries, especially as the Affymetrix/Illumina patents expire and the genechips get commoditized.

twic 3y ago

Down syndrome is caused by a chromosomal aberration that comes about during formation of an egg, not a mutation. It's not possible to detect it by screening the parents' DNA.

Metacelsus 3y ago
But it is possible to detect by screening the embryo's DNA, which is currently happening. Still I don't think this technology will reach universal adoption within the next 50 years.
dylan604 3y ago
Perhaps this is why screening of the amniotic fluid to detect things about the parasite within the host is common?
- Geisterde 3y ago
  What parasite?
  - dylan604 3y ago
    That parasite gestating inside the female host.
  - 0_____0 3y ago
    They're making a cheeky reference to the fetus. Don't think too hard about it.
    - Geisterde 3y ago
      I didnt, and I knew the answer ahead of time. I think thats an insane way of thinking about things, barbaric and cruel, but I would rather parent spells it out and I leave it at that. Its the internet, people can and should say what they really think, im just helping parent get there.
      - 3y ago

thatoneguy 3y ago

I went through IVF and I can't make babies that have my particular mutation in them (even though it's not apparently disease causing and unknown to science) unless I sign a shit ton of paperwork. So, we have to go with the Gattaca-y genomincally perfect embryos. Or conceive in the back of a car or something.

snowwrestler 3y ago

There are genetic screens for a few congenital disorders. A friend’s daughter was genetically screened for galactosemia and by catching it they almost certainly helped her have a normal life. But since Gattaca was released, we’ve just continued to learn that it’s likely impossible to predict the full capability of a person from only DNA. There are too many variables in how genes are expressed, and the social context in which each person finds themselves. That said, the real story of Gattaca is unjustified discrimination, and there are already plenty of technologies for that. So in that sense I think you’re right that it’s already among us. Just as it was in 1997… Gattaca is a pretty transparent allegory.

deadbabe 3y ago

In this tough world, bringing in a child with Down syndrome is committing to their lifelong care and carefully planning who will take over the job of caring for them when you die. Don’t do it.