April 30, 2008
As screening for genetic abnormalities becomes more and more prevalent as part of prenatal care and assisted human reproduction, we open up a host of important and contentious ethical questions. Are these screening programs part of preventative medicine? What sorts … Read More
April 30, 2008
One of the activities undertaken to disseminate information concerning the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, adopted in 2005 by UNESCO, is the Ethics Education Program. This program is mapping existing teaching programs in the area of ethics in … Read More
April 30, 2008
Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology (Volume 2, Issue 1) is now available online. Articles include: “Death in Traffic: Why Are the Ethical Issues Ignored?” by Leonard Evans “The Ethics of Autonomous Military Robots” by Jason Borenstein “Privacy, Data Protection, … Read More
April 30, 2008
A new type of powerful stem cell made from ordinary skin cells has been coaxed into becoming three different types of heart and blood cells in mice, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. (Reuters)
April 30, 2008
An inexpensive new gene-sequencing machine is due to hit the market next month, and its creators hope that it will make sequencing more common, ultimately giving a boost to personalized medicine. The machine is the brainchild of George Church, a … Read More
April 30, 2008
The Philippines is banning kidney transplants for foreigners, as part of a government crackdown on a growing but illicit trade in human organs bought from the poor, officials said Tuesday. (New York Times)
April 30, 2008
Two parents who prayed as their 11-year-old daughter died of untreated diabetes were charged Monday with second-degree reckless homicide. (The Associated Press)
April 29, 2008
The findings, heart failure specialists say, mean that people with the altered gene might be spared taking what may be, for them, a useless therapy. And since patients with heart failure typically take multiple drugs, which can interact and cause … Read More
April 29, 2008
A new analysis concludes that the Food and Drug Administration approved experiments with artificial blood substitutes even after studies showed that the controversial products posed a clear risk of causing heart attacks and death. (Washington Post)
April 29, 2008
An experimental and potentially powerful way to fight disease, called RNA interference (RNAi), could now be closer to reality, as researchers at MIT and Alnylam, a biotech company based in Cambridge, MA, have addressed a key obstacle to effectively delivering … Read More
April 29, 2008
A LEADING scientist has warned a new species of “humanzee,” created from breeding apes with humans, could become a reality unless the government acts to stop scientists experimenting. (The Scotsman)
April 29, 2008
Republican presidential candidate John McCain called on Tuesday for greater competition for health care coverage for Americans, saying more choices for insurance will drive down costs and improve the system. (Reuters)
April 28, 2008
His liver, ravaged by hepatitis C, is failing. Without a new one, his doctors tell him, he will be dead in days. But Garon’s been refused a spot on the transplant list, largely because he has used marijuana, even though … Read More
April 28, 2008
Helped by active government support, a boom in cosmetic surgery and a pool of experienced surgeons, the country wants to surpass Singapore, Thailand and India to become Asia’s new medical tourism hub. (AFP)
April 28, 2008
Scientists for the first time have used gene therapy to dramatically improve sight in people with a rare form of blindness, a development experts called a major advance for the experimental technique. (AP)
April 25, 2008
The bill, described by Sen. Edward Kennedy as “the first major new civil rights bill of the new century,” would bar health insurance companies from using genetic information to set premiums or determine enrollment eligibility. Similarly, employers could not use … Read More
April 25, 2008
The monthly discomfort many women see as a curse could pay off someday as Japanese researchers say menstrual blood can be used to repair heart damage. (AFP)
April 25, 2008
Now chemists have infused cotton gauze with nanoparticles, giving it a vastly improved ability to halt blood loss — even in tight spots like the neck or groin where it’s hard to apply pressure. The new material could help save … Read More
April 25, 2008
Pharmacist Neil Noesen, who faces punishment for refusing to refill a woman’s birth control prescription, asks the Wisconsin Supreme Court to consider his case. (The Daily Cardinal)
April 25, 2008
Sound familiar? From the News to the New Haven Register, this and similar ads for egg donors have appeared in the pages of local newspapers, attempting to lure intelligent Yale women with sums ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. (Yale Daily … Read More
April 25, 2008
The bill, which appeared ready to clear a Senate committee last week after introduction last year, has been slowed by the complex debate among lawmakers trying to balance medical ethics and Ohio’s economic development. Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland opposes the … Read More
April 24, 2008
April 24, 2008
Microsoft researchers are developing an armband worn on the forearm that recognises finger movements by monitoring muscle activity. They have called it MUCI, which stands for muscle-computer interface. (New Scientist)
April 24, 2008
The debate illustrates how new medical technologies often proliferate before society has resolved the issues they raise, such as what to do when a patient has had enough. Similar clashes have arisen over pacemakers and implanted defibrillators, and experts say … Read More
April 24, 2008
Surprisingly large numbers of people appear to be using brain-enhancing drugs to work harder, longer and better. They’re popping pills normally prescribed for narcolepsy or attention-deficit disorder to improve their performance at work and school. (Wired)
