Genetic Diagnosis — Bioethics

The entire human genome will be completely analyzed very shortly and mankind must resolve the issue of how this knowledge will be applied to general medical care in the 21st century. Due to the progress which has hitherto been achieved in gene analysis technology, genetic testing for carrier detection, pre-implantation diagnosis, prenatal diagnosis, presymptomatic diagnosis, predispositional testing, and other tests has become technically easier to conduct. The progress in gene analysis technology has also made it highly possible for prenatal diagnosis, that presently relies on amniocentesis and CVS, to shift to less invasive methods that utilize maternal-fetal blood. What mankind must resolve is how advanced medical technology will be adequately utilized and how it will be justified from the standpoint of bioethics. If technological progress is pursued without addressing the ethical, legal, and social issues that stem from this technology, it will have difficulty gaining public support. Ethnically original bioethics will not evolve in Japan if the unique culture, customs, and practices that exist in this country are ignored. There is an urgent need to address this issue.