HealthGlobe Medical Travel Blog

Antonio: We were just wondering if it is good to just leave a few things to chance?
Geneticist: We want to give your child the best possible start. Believe me, we have enough imperfection built in already. Your child doesn’t need any more additional burdens. Keep in mind, this child is still you. Simply, the best, of you. You could conceive naturally a thousand times and never get such a result. –Gattaca (1997)

In the film Gattaca, the above exchange takes place between a soon-to-be father and a scientist while they are discussing genetic selection for the couple’s child. While the movie was a science fiction story about genetic engineering in the future, it raises some timely questions that are more science than fiction.

The emergence of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has helped hundreds of people become parents by using cutting edge science to assist the natural reproductive process. These techniques have also introduced the possibility of selective reproduction – that is, parents making decisions about their children before conception even happens. While we have not started creating customized babies in the spirit of Gattaca, some technological breakthroughs have changed what we can control about our offspring, raising some tough questions in the process.

Anadolu Medical Center, a strategic partner of Johns Hopkins Medicine International and an affiliate of HealthGlobe’s InVitroGlobe service, has emerged as a worldwide leader in ART-based therapies. In particular, they have gained a reputation as one of the leading hospitals for ICSI In-Vitro Fertilization treatments.  The world-class Anadolu Medical Center is based in Kocaeli, Turkey.

Along with this treatment, they have introduced a technique known as the “Biological Sperm Magnet.” This technique identifies mature sperm cells through a unique protein binding mechanism. The most important benefit to this filtering process is that using mature sperm cells  greatly increases the chances of successful egg fertilization.  And isn’t that the whole point of IVF?

Is this a type of unethical genetic engineering that we should be concerned about? We don’t think so.

Anadolu Medical Center augments its world-renowned ISCI IVF practice with the Biological Sperm Magnet technique. The technique relies on proteins that are naturally occurring in the female reproductive tract. The process mimics the natural advantage that healthy sperm have during unassisted fertilization, thereby resulting in a more natural fertilization process.

While we don’t intend to sound too similar to the geneticist from Gattaca, we do try to understand the delicate nature of any decision about parenthood. At Healthglobe’’s InVitroGlobe business, we want our patients to be informed to make the decisions that are best for them and their families. Providing several options at affordable prices is our way of helping people become parents.

Naveen Rao, MHS
Market Analyst, HealthGlobe International