如果有一天，你可以選擇生育一個小“愛因斯坦”，也可以生育一個智商普通的孩子，你會做出什么樣的選擇？據(jù)科學家預計，未來10年內(nèi)，人類將可以使用試管嬰兒技術(shù)選擇“最聰明”的胚胎。

Genetics research, conceptual artwork. CHINA DAILY

Couples undergoing IVF treatment could be given the option to pick the “smartest” embryo within the next 10 years, a leading US scientist has predicted.

據(jù)美國一名權(quán)威科學家預計，未來10年之內(nèi)，做試管嬰兒的夫婦將能夠選擇“最聰明”的胚胎。

IVF：in vitro fertilization 體外受精聯(lián)合胚胎移植技術(shù)，又稱“試管嬰兒”

Stephen Hsu, senior vice president for research at Michigan State University, said scientific advances mean it will soon be feasible to reliably rank embryos according to potential IQ, posing profound ethical questions for society about whether or not the technology should be adopted.

美國密歇根州立大學主管科研的副校長徐道輝（斯蒂芬·徐）說，科學進步意味著人類不久就能夠?qū)ε咛サ臐撛谥巧探o出可靠的評分，這項技術(shù)是否應(yīng)該使用將是一個深刻的社會倫理問題。

Hsu’s company, Genomic Prediction, already offers a test aimed at screening out embryos with abnormally low IQ to couples being treated at fertility clinics in the US.

徐道輝的基因組預測公司已經(jīng)為在美國不孕不育診所接受治療的夫婦提供了一項檢測服務(wù)，旨在篩查出智商異常低的胚胎。

“Accurate IQ predictors will be possible, if not the next five years, the next 10 years certainly,” Hsu told the Guardian. “I predict certain countries will adopt them.”

徐道輝對《衛(wèi)報》記者說：“準確的智商預測是可能的，即使不是未來5年內(nèi)，那么在未來10年內(nèi)也肯定可以。我預計一些國家會采納這項技術(shù)。”

The prospect of a new generation of genetically selected babies has prompted concerns about unintended medical consequences and the potential for deepening existing social inequalities. The science underpinning the claim that intelligence can be meaningfully predicted by genetic tests is also contentious.

新一代基因選擇嬰兒的前景引發(fā)了人們對于意外醫(yī)療后果和現(xiàn)有社會不平等可能加劇的擔憂。基因檢測能夠有效預測智商的科學技術(shù)也引發(fā)了爭議。

contentious [kn'tens]：adj.有異議的，引起爭論的

Peter Donnelly, a professor of statistical science at the University of Oxford, said any such IQ predictions should be treated with “huge caution”, adding: “I have grave misgivings about it on ethical grounds. I think it’s a really bad idea.”

牛津大學統(tǒng)計學教授彼得·唐納利說，應(yīng)該“十分謹慎”地對待此類智商預測。他說：“出于倫理原因，我對此非常擔憂。我認為這是一個非常糟糕的想法。”

Since the 1990s, couples undergoing IVF have been able to screen their embryos for mutations in single genes that cause serious diseases such as cystic fibrosis, as well as conditions like Down’s syndrome, caused by chromosome abnormalities.

自上世紀90年代以來，接受試管受精的夫婦已經(jīng)能夠?qū)λ麄兊呐咛ミM行篩選，以發(fā)現(xiàn)單個基因的突變，這些突變會導致嚴重的疾病，比如囊性纖維化，以及染色體異常導致的唐氏綜合征等。

chromosome ['krmsm]：n.染色體

Many other traits, including height, physical appearance, intelligence and disease susceptibility, are known to be partly heritable. But because the genetic component is spread thinly over hundreds or even thousands of DNA regions, it has previously been impossible to screen for these traits.

許多其他特征，包括身高、外貌、智力和疾病易感性，都被認為是部分遺傳的。但由于遺傳組分稀疏地分散在數(shù)百甚至數(shù)千個DNA區(qū)域，以前不可能對這些特征進行篩選。

In the past decade, as vast genetic databases have been established, this picture has changed. Through analyzing many genes, each making a tiny contribution, it has been possible to calculate what are called polygenic risk scores, which give a person’s likelihood of getting a particular disease or having a certain trait.

在過去的十年里，隨著大量基因數(shù)據(jù)庫的建立，這種情況已經(jīng)發(fā)生了改變。通過分析大量基因，每個基因都做出了微小的貢獻，就有可能計算出所謂的多基因風險評分，即一個人患某種特定疾病或具有某種特征的可能性。

polygenic[,pli'denik]：adj.多基因的

Genomic Prediction is the first company to take embryo screening into this grey area of risk forecasting, offering to alert couples if an embryo has an “outlier” score for risk of cancers, diabetes, heart disease, dwarfism or low IQ.

基因組預測公司是第一家將胚胎篩查納入風險預測這一灰色地帶的公司。如果胚胎在癌癥、糖尿病、心臟病、侏儒癥或智商低下等風險方面的評分“異常”，它就會提醒做篩查的夫婦。

outlier ['atla]：n.（統(tǒng)計）異常值

Medical staff put clothes on the newborn test-tube baby at a hospital in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Prediction for IQ is not good enough to give a reliable ranking, but Hsu said that knowing an embryo has a low score could still be desirable.

智商預測目前還不足以給出可靠的評分，但徐道輝表示，如果一個胚胎的智商評分較低，人們可能還是很想知道。

“Maybe the bottom 1% embryo will grow up to be a great person … even be a scientist, but the odds are against it,” he said. “I honestly feel if we can calculate that score and find a real negative outlier there’s an ethical responsibility for us to report that.”

徐道輝說：“也許評分最低的1%的胚胎長大后會成為一個優(yōu)秀的人……甚至成為一名科學家，但這種可能性很小。我真的覺得，如果我們能計算出這個評分，發(fā)現(xiàn)它低得十分異常，那么我們就有道德責任予以告知。”

The company projects that once high-quality genetic and academic achievement data from a million individuals becomes available, expected to be within five to 10 years, it will be able to predict IQ to within about 10 points.

該公司預計，在5至10年內(nèi)，一旦100萬人的高質(zhì)量基因和學術(shù)成就數(shù)據(jù)可用，它將能夠預測智商，誤差在10分以內(nèi)。

Hsu is reticent about whether screening for high intelligence would be ethically justified, saying: “Let me just decline to answer that at the moment.”

徐道輝不愿評論高智商篩查是否符合倫理標準，說“目前我拒絕回答這個問題”。

reticent ['rets()nt]：adj.沉默的；有保留的

In some countries, such as Singapore, there is likely to be a high level of public acceptance and demand for such tests, he suggested. “I think the overwhelming majority would say yes, absolutely, parents should be allowed to do that,” he said. “Before you write your piece, you might just want to think that a billion people on the other side of the world might have a different view.”

徐道輝說，在一些國家，比如新加坡，公眾對此類檢測的接受度和需求可能會很高。他說：“我認為絕大多數(shù)人肯定會贊成允許父母這樣做。在你寫這篇報道之前，也許應(yīng)該想想地球另外一端的10億人可能有不同的看法。”

Whether such tests will become available in the UK would depend on approval from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

這種檢測方法能否在英國實施將取決于英國人工授精與胚胎學管理局的批準。

“If the HFEA decides that it’s not right for the UK, I will respect that,” Hsu said, but predicted that “rich people from the UK will fly to Singapore” if they are unable to get the tests locally.

他說:“如果英國人工授精與胚胎學管理局認為這對英國不合適，我會尊重這個決定。”但他預測，如果英國富人無法在當?shù)剡M行這項檢測，“他們會飛到新加坡去做的。”

Some in the UK take the view that prospective parents have a right to access such tests. “I don’t think people should be deprived of that knowledge,” said Prof Simon Fishel, the founder of Care Fertility.

在英國，一些人認為未來的父母有權(quán)進行此類檢測。生育關(guān)懷組織的創(chuàng)始人西蒙費舍爾教授說:“我認為不應(yīng)該剝奪人們的這種知情權(quán)。”

Fishel questioned whether there is any ethical difference between picking an embryo ranked highest for IQ or sending a child to a private school. “What’s wrong with ranking an embryo if you can rank a child?” he said. “I think there are plenty of people who’d choose embryo Oxford [rather] than embryo A-level failure.”

費舍爾質(zhì)疑挑選智商最高的胚胎和送孩子去私立學校之間是否存在倫理上的差異。“如果你能給孩子評分，那給胚胎評分又有什么錯呢？”他說。“我認為有很多人會選擇未來能考取牛津的胚胎而不是無法通過英國中學高級水平考試的胚胎。”

In practice, though, couples often have only a few embryos to choose from. And there are concerns about unintended consequences. For instance, there is some evidence linking higher polygenic scores for academic ability to higher likelihood of autism.

但實際上，夫婦們通常只有幾個胚胎可供選擇。此外，人們還擔心會出現(xiàn)意想不到的后果。例如，有證據(jù)表明，學術(shù)能力的多基因得分越高，患自閉癥的可能性就越大。

The technology is controversial, but that does not mean it will not gain acceptance in the future, Hsu said, drawing parallels with the reaction to IVF in its early days.

徐道輝說，這項技術(shù)存在爭議，但這并不意味著它在未來不會被接受，這與早期人們對體外受精的反應(yīng)類似。

“The IVF pioneers … were called monsters, Frankenstein doctors; it was predicted that these babies would have health problems,” he said. “I am actually reassured by that. IVF is completely normalized now. Everyone who is pointing their finger at [Genomic Prediction] now should go back and read those articles.”

他說：“試管嬰兒的先驅(qū)被稱為怪物，弗蘭肯斯坦醫(yī)生。當時人們預測這些嬰兒會有健康問題。實際上，我對此很放心。試管受精現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)完全正常化。現(xiàn)在，所有指責（基因組預測）的人都應(yīng)該回去讀讀那些文章。”

來源：衛(wèi)報、參考消息網(wǎng)

翻譯編輯：yaning

來源：中國日報網(wǎng)

試管嬰兒最近經(jīng)常被提及，它是指運用現(xiàn)代醫(yī)學技術(shù)，將卵細胞和精子從人體中提取出來在體外進行受精，等胚胎發(fā)育到一定程度之后再移入母體內(nèi)發(fā)育的一項手術(shù)。上世紀70年代，它的第一個成功案例在英國誕生，到2011年我國上海首次成功完成了一起試管嬰兒案例。這項技術(shù)被推廣之后，很多由于年齡過高或者患有輸卵管疾病難以成功受孕的人也有機會做父母了，但是在做試管嬰兒之前，有幾個問題大家需要考慮清楚。

身體疼痛

想要進行這項手術(shù)，首先需要從女性體內(nèi)取卵。女性的卵子是非常珍貴的，一生也只有400多顆，每個月只能排出一顆。而且并不是每一顆卵子都能夠和精子成功結(jié)合，即使結(jié)合成功形成了受精卵，還要經(jīng)歷一重考驗，受精卵能不能成功發(fā)育成胚胎？所以為了讓受孕率提高，在對女性取卵子的時候，醫(yī)生需要多取出幾顆優(yōu)質(zhì)卵子。但是體內(nèi)的卵子女性每個月只能排出一顆，所以在取卵子之前，需要打促排卵的針，身體要經(jīng)歷疼痛。取卵子的過程需要進行穿刺手術(shù)，痛感就更不必說了，雖然會做身體麻醉，但疼痛依然讓人難以忍受，有的則需要幾天才能緩解。

心理考驗

每對夫妻在做試管嬰兒這項手術(shù)之前，心里一定是滿懷期待的。但是手術(shù)難免會發(fā)生意外，誰也不能保證100%成功。打針促排卵之后，等待受精卵的結(jié)合過程是很煎熬的，而很多人在一段時間之后等來的往往是失敗，于是他們會再做第二次、第三次。每一次對夫妻雙方來說都是沉重的心理考驗，所以在決定手術(shù)之前，大家就要做好可能會失敗的準備，一定要擁有強大的內(nèi)心。

費用

做試管嬰兒需要進行體檢、促排卵、受精卵培養(yǎng)、往母體內(nèi)移植等過程，每一項都是一筆不小的開銷，總體下來會花費8到13萬不等，這個主要看個人情況和地域之間的差別。這項花費對于很多家庭來說都不是很輕松。

大部分人都會覺得有了孩子家庭才算完整，在養(yǎng)育孩子的過程中，父母也會享受到難以言喻的幸福和快樂，因此很多家庭都想要有自己的孩子。而試管嬰兒就給很多生育困難的人帶來希望，如果想要進行這項手術(shù)，在手術(shù)之前，大家一定要先了解清楚。