On June 26th, 2010, the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology(JSOG) changed its way of thinking about the application of preimplantation genetic diagnosis of embryos (PGD). As a result, the application of PGD extended to not only such serious genetic disorders as 'Duchenne muscular dystrophy(DMD)', but also to habitual abortion due to 'structural abnormalities of chromosomes' including 'chromosomal translocation'’. This means that PGD application will be able to include habitual abortion resulting from 'inversion', 'deletion', and 'duplication of chromosomes' , as well as 'chromosomal translocation' which is subdivided into 'reciprocal translocation' and 'Robertsonian translocation'. The new views of JSOG are expected to result in the following four cases.
(A) The application of PGD for patients suffering from serious genetic diseases other than DMD, muscular dystrophy, adrenoleukodystrophy, Leigh encephalopathy and ornithine transcarbamylase to which JSOG has already approved PGD application.
(B) The application of PGD for patients suffering from habitual abortion resulting from 'inversion’, 'deletion', and 'duplication of chromosomes' as well as 'chromosomal translocation' which is subdivided into 'reciprocal translocation' and 'Robertsonian translocation'.
(C) The application of PGD for patients suffering from 'numerical abnormalities of chromosomes', as well as the already approved 'structural abnormalities of chromosomes'.
(D) The likely establishment of an official management and administration institution for the handling of information related to PGD as well as the continued pursuit of safety in PGD.
The new views on PGD published by JSOG on June 26th, 2010 ask for JSOG to deal with the above four cases as soon as possible.
