New research supports kidney transplants from HIV-positive donors to recipients with HIV.
Researchers are developing artificial wombs as we speak. So we need to talk about the pros and cons before science fiction becomes reality.
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Yes, there are pros and cons of this new reproductive technology. But there are many other issues about maternal and child health we need to tackle first.
CRISPR has many applications, including targeted gene therapy, but the precision of the technology still has a way to go.
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CRISPR technology is continually improving to make it more specific, but serious consideration should be given to when and how CRISPR is safe for gene editing.
What rights do you have when discussing medical treatments or test results with your doctor?
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Young people with gender dysphoria have high rates of mental health issues which makes conducting ethical research trials complex.
Human challenge studies can be useful to test new vaccines and are increasingly being used internationally. Yet there are several ethical issues to consider.
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Deliberately infecting people with a disease-causing agent as part of carefully considered medical research can be ethically acceptable or even necessary.
New innovations in neurotechnology should consider ethical, social and legal implications.
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With increasing technological innovations in neuroscience, the field of neuroethics grows in relevance - especially when it comes to informing applications and policy.
On May 16, 2019, Madeleine Munier Apaire (shown here in June 2014), lawyer for Vincent Lambert’s nephew, considered that all remedies were “exhausted”.
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The debate over Mr. Vincent Lambert’s decision to discontinue his care overshadowed equally important judicial and ethical issues. A look back at a complex situation that will set a precedent.
What’s the best way to put the brakes on current research?
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Scientists and ethicists have called for a five-year moratorium on editing human genes that will pass on to future generations. Yes, society needs to figure out how to proceed – but is this the best way?
Genetic information is relevant not only for an individual, but also their blood relatives, because it’s often hereditary.
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Because genetic changes that cause cause health complications can be hereditary, the information affects not only the person with the mutation but also their biological relatives.
Editing just one gene in an embryo could create many unanticipated side-effects once the baby is born.
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Genome editing technology has, and will always have, limits. Limits that are related not to the technology itself but to the intrinsic complexity of the human genome.
China is pushing hard to lead a genome editing race.
A team of Canadian therapists have filed an application with Health Canada seeking permission to provide psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to patients with terminal cancer.
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Research shows therapeutic psilocybin to be a safe and effective antidote to end-of-life anxiety and depression. Does prohibition therefore violate our right to “life, liberty and security?”
As part of a new strategy to combat loneliness GPs will be able to prescribe social activities. But is this ethical?
Researchers have grown groups of brain cells in the lab – known as ‘organoids’ – that produce brain waves resembling those found in premature infants.
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Science is creating new living matter – like stem cells grown to create brain tissues in the lab. With power comes responsibility and what matters is an ethical question, not a scientific one.
Academics from different disciplines come Head to Head in this series to tackle topical debates.
Everyone was up in arms about a lack of privacy with the My Health Record, but the privacy is the same for other types of patient data.
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Microplastics are everywhere–our water, soil, and even the air we breathe. The consequences of this exposure on human health is unknown. But studies in animals give us reason to worry.
Big data research could improve medical outcomes and reduce the waste of resources.
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If we want My Health Record data to be made available for medical research we need to make it opt in, not opt out. We’ll have a smaller dataset, but at least it will be ethically defensible.
Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney
Paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital and Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist, University of Melbourne and MCRI, Murdoch Children's Research Institute