Bioethics in the News – Monday, February 20, 2006

February 20, 2006

Type 1 Diabetes Research (via BBC)

A research team at the University of Minnesota has cured type I diabetes in monkeys by transplanting islet cells from pigs and combating rejection with a combination of drugs. The team is hoping to begin human trials in 2009. Teams in the UK are running a clinical trial transplanting islet cells from donated human pancreases, but a shortage of donated human organs lead the Minnesota team to explore the possibility of using pigs. Some who advocate on behalf of type 1 diabetes patients have prominently called for government funding of cloning and embryonic stem cell research in order to potentially develop treatments for the disease. Here, though, are two promising, life-affirming alternatives.

Private Health Care in Canada? (via New York Times)

The Canadian Supreme Court in June found that if the public health system was not meeting the needs of patients, private insurance and private clinics are legal alternatives. A number of Canadian politicians are calling for more discussion of various ideas that would move Canada toward more of a European a healthcare model. The New York Times article points out that this is quite a change in thinking: “Public health care insurance, where citizens go to their doctor or to the hospital for basic services paid for by taxpayers, has long been considered politically sacrosanct in Canada, and even central to the national identity.” Allocation of resources and access to healthcare are international issues and it will require hard work to ensure true justice.

Quick Links for February 20

Pig Cells May Reverse Diabetes (BBC)
Ruling Has Canada Planting Seeds of Private Health Care (New York Times)

Other News Items of Interest

Body Parts Snatching Case Reverberates (AP)
Getting ‘Physical’ Can Cost Men a Bad Habit or Two (USA Today)
Free Clinics Pop Up to Deal With Uninsured (AP)
Experts: Autism Surrounded by Misunderstanding (Reuters)