DPI-A preimplantation genetic testing France, Digi Mart USA News (France): The debate over preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (DPI-A) has returned to the forefront. After revealing that she used the test in Belgium, Ecologist presidential candidate Marine Tondelier has backed a cross-party bill that would authorize the practice in France.
The test detects certain chromosomal abnormalities in embryos before implantation. Its effectiveness and ethical implications are the subject of debate.
The bill was filed on October 13 at the National Assembly by Liot deputy Constance de Pélichy. It would allow couples undergoing assisted reproduction (PMA) to access the test, which is performed on embryos created through in vitro fertilization.
It involves analyzing a few cells to verify that the embryo has the usual number of chromosomes.
The test can identify aneuploidies, meaning the presence of an extra chromosome or the absence of one. Some of these abnormalities can cause implantation failure, miscarriage or chromosomal disorders such as trisomy 21.
Depending on the results, doctors may prioritize transferring an embryo with a chromosomal profile considered normal. DPI-A therefore aims to avoid transferring embryos unlikely to result in a pregnancy.
That is precisely what Marine Tondelier sought. After three years of unsuccessful assisted reproduction and several miscarriages, the Ecologist leader says she had five embryos analyzed in Belgium.
Three showed chromosomal abnormalities and two were considered viable. “It is a very expensive examination, costing at least 10,000 euros […].
And it is therefore not reimbursed because it is done abroad,” she explained, arguing that the ban creates inequality between women who can afford to travel abroad and those who cannot.
Although DPI-A can help rule out embryos with chromosomal abnormalities, its actual effect on birth chances remains debated in the scientific community. The test guarantees neither implantation nor the birth of a healthy child.
There are also risks of misinterpretation, particularly when some cells within the same embryo show chromosomal abnormalities and others do not.
DPI-A should not be confused with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (DPI), which is already authorized in France in certain medical situations. DPI looks for a specific serious genetic disease in embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) when prospective parents face a risk of transmission.
DPI-A goes further by examining all of the embryo’s chromosomes, even when no particular genetic risk has been identified in the family.
In France, this broader screening is not permitted within standard assisted reproduction. Couples wishing to use it must therefore turn to countries where it is legal, such as Belgium or Spain.
Deputy Constance de Pélichy notes that about 88,000 IVF procedures are performed each year in France, of which 65,000 do not result in a birth.
Beyond medical questions, legalizing DPI-A also raises ethical concerns. Opponents fear that selecting embryos based on chromosomal characteristics could gradually open the door to eugenic practices.
They worry about a society in which embryos are chosen according to their genetic makeup and, over the longer term, that this could lead to choices based on other genetic traits, such as sex or physical appearance.
To address these reservations, the bill’s authors intend to strictly regulate the test. In the explanatory memorandum, they state that its sole purpose would be to determine the number of chromosomes in the embryo.
It could not be used to select the sex of the future child or to look for other genetic characteristics.
To prevent the issue from being deferred to a future bioethics law, whose review could take several years, Constance de Pélichy wants a first rapid reading of her text in the National Assembly. The deputy is therefore calling for the bill to be placed on the agenda of the Assembly’s cross-party week, scheduled for the first week of December.
