Startup Nucleus Genomics test criticised for embryo products: “It makes me very nauseous”
Nucleus Genomics, a genetic testing startup founded by 25-year-old Kian Sadeghi; First released in 2021 With the aim of calculating the risk of patients for a particular disease.
But it has been seeking controversy for years with products that claim to communicate to people how their genetics correlates with many complex issues, including IQ.
When it unveiled a new product called nuclear embryo on Wednesday, it sparked controversy over the level of splitting ears With tweets It said: “Every parent wants to give more than their children. For the first time in human history, the nuclear adds a new tool to its commitment.”
Nucleus says it can test IVF embryos as well as not only the well-known specific genes that are likely to be diseases like breast cancer, but also the more well-known specific genes such as gender, height, hair color, eye color, and more, such as anxiety and complex health attributes like ADHD.
The launch video contains screenshots from the comparison menu. The idea is to help parents choose which embryos to choose and which embryos to throw away.
Genetic testing of embryos is not unprecedented. IVF Doctor Can be tested A gene that can cause a condition like Down syndrome, or if the parent knows that the parent is at a higher risk for certain genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis.
But that’s not exactly what the core is doing. The controversial “polygenic score” is used to determine “complex genetic outcomes such as intelligence and anxiety.”
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, a multigene score simply calculates the probability of a particular complex disease that occurs primarily within a population. “Polygenic risk scores can only explain the relative risk of disease.” NHGR says. This is not the same as discovering a specific gene, for example a BRCA1 gene mutation. This presents people with an “absolute risk of breast cancer” of 60-80%. NHGR says.
There is a reason why doctors usually don’t use such tests on individuals. “Polygenic risk scores are not yet routinely used by healthcare professionals as there are no practice guidelines and researchers are improving the way these scores are produced.” According to NHGR.
Nuclear defends that it can use that method to determine risk for individuals. The spokesman pointed us out 2018 paper The authors stated that they have developed a method for validating five common diseases: coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and breast cancer.
The paper, similar to the original concept of Nucleus, advocated screenings to help individuals make lifestyle or therapeutic decisions.
Wednesday’s tweet promised parents that Nuclear could help make designer babies. It has now been viewed over 4 million times and has hundreds of comments. Many of them express distrust that this works as promised, or fearful at the idea.
1 The VC rang “I was going to type something like Noah would get a boat, but honestly, this reality just makes me very nauseous.”
Nuclear has experienced this kind of controversy before TechCrunch has been reported previouslywhen it announced the $14 million Series A earlier this year. The startup is supported by the Founders Fund, 776 by Alexis Ohanian. Includes angels and Adrian Aoun (CEO of Forward Health), Brent Saunders (former CEO of Allergan), and Matteo Franceschetti (CEO of Eight Sleep).
Last year, Sadeghi launched the Nucleus IQ. This is supposed to tell users how much their genetics affects their intelligence. The product has been blown up As “bad science and big corporations” By some critics. Sadegi Long defenses revealed of his company’s methodology.
Still, telling adults that they are genetically clever is one thing. It is to tell parents of IVF that they can choose their child’s appearance and other complex attributes. Many people will arguesomething else.
Nuclear Currently, we are not performing such tests via IVF Lab Partners That itself reports, The Wall Street Journal. We are partnering with genomic predictions in collaboration with IVF clinics. Genome executives told WSJ that many parents are requesting intelligence tests, but that doesn’t provide them. Parents can upload genetic data information if they want to voluntarily pursue nucleus.
Or, as Sadeghi said in the launch video aimed at becoming parents, “IVF-1 not too long ago, causing fear and stigmatization of the baby in Test Tube,” he said. “What once caused controversy is now everyday practice. The same goes for genetic optimization. Technology is here and stays here.”