Bioethics News and Research

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Doctors debate about physician-assisted suicide

Few issues in medicine have been more controversial in recent years than physician-assisted suicide, with medical experts and the general public unable to come to a consensus that balances the delicate issue of dying with dignity with the interests of the individual and society as a whole.

5 Jun 2017

Study sheds light on how different families relate to each other following open embryo adoption

EXPERTS at the University of Huddersfield are researching the emergence of a new style of family creation that sees couples "adopt" embryos and, after the child is born, remain in contact with the donors and in many cases develop a special relationship with them.

19 May 2017

New conference aims to improve understanding of how advances in genomics influence society

From prenatal genetic screening to the genetic testing of women with family histories of breast cancer, genomics is rapidly becoming a fixture in our lives.

5 May 2017

Advancing safety in healthcare products

True benefit from healthcare products requires an unrelenting focus on patient- and consumer-centered safety, a principle that is at the heart of J&J’s Credo and is embodied in the mission of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO).

From Johnson & Johnson 5 May 2017

Complex, conflicting state laws pose barriers to medical decision-making, study reveals

A patchwork of state laws creates a labyrinth that can make it confusing to navigate incapacitated patients' medical wishes.

13 Apr 2017

New conferences sponsored by University of Minnesota to focus on informed consent in research

On Wednesday and Thursday, March 8-9, the University of Minnesota will host experts from across the nation to lay the groundwork for improving informed consent in research with human participants. The two days of conferences and training sessions are collectively titled "Frontier Issues in Research Ethics."

6 Mar 2017

New report expresses ethical concerns about use of non-invasive prenatal testing

A new report on non-invasive prenatal testing by the UK's Nuffield Council on Bioethics expresses concerns about the way the test is being sold by private providers.

1 Mar 2017

Mayo Clinic: Surgeons complete near-total face transplant on Wyoming man

A multidisciplinary team of surgeons, physicians and other health professionals recently completed a near-total face transplant on a Wyoming man on Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus.

17 Feb 2017

Researchers explore ins and outs of genome sequencing in newborns

When you have a baby, a nurse or a phlebotomist performs a heel stick to take a few drops of blood from your infant and sends it off to a state lab for a battery of tests.

19 Jan 2017

Harvard scientists discuss promise and peril of emerging IVG technique

In vitro fertilization has transformed reproductive medicine and sparked a number of therapeutic and diagnostic breakthroughs.

12 Jan 2017

Dental problems linked to cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormal salivary glands

A new study in the Journal of Dental Research suggests that dental problems commonly associated with cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormalities in salivary glands and an imbalance of immune compounds in the mouth.

7 Dec 2016

Prohibiting anonymous sperm donation could lead to decline in number of donors, study suggests

A new study published in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences suggests that prohibiting anonymous sperm donation would result in a decline in the number of donors, and that those willing to donate would likely demand compensation for donation.

30 Nov 2016

Researchers developing guidelines on ethics and best practices for biorepositories

What if a patient gave permission to a researcher at her local hospital to use her blood or specimen for research, and later the researcher decided to share that sample with others?

27 Oct 2016

Seattle Children’s Hospital opens new clinic to provide gender care for children, teens and young adults

Seattle Children's Hospital has opened a new Gender Clinic for children, adolescents and young adults up to 21 years of age.

5 Oct 2016

University of Melbourne ethicist encourages doctors to respect parents’ opinions on treatment decisions for children

A University of Melbourne ethicist is encouraging doctors to recognise the autonomy of parents, even if this could mean “less than optimal” treatment decisions for their children.

13 Sep 2016

UNC bioethicist addresses roadblocks to HIV research on pregnant women

UNC School of Medicine's Anne Lyerly is addressing the urgent need for effective HIV prevention and treatment for the estimated 1.5 million women worldwide with HIV who give birth each year.

18 Aug 2016

Revolutionary surgery improves airway and jaw position in children with Treacher Collins syndrome

A revolutionary surgery developed by Dr. Richard Hopper, surgical director of Seattle Children's Craniofacial Center, called subcranial rotation distraction, is changing the lives of children who are tracheostomy dependent.

27 Jul 2016

WHO convenes Emergency Committee's 3rd meeting to discuss on Zika virus and associated complications

On 14 June 2016, the World Health Organization will convene the 3rd meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) on Zika and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations.

16 Jun 2016

ISSCR releases updated guidelines for stem cell research, development of new therapies

The International Society for Stem Cell Research, the world's largest professional organization of stem cell scientists, today released newly updated guidelines for stem cell research and the development of new clinical therapies.

13 May 2016

Experts focus on scientific complexities of individual and population health at iCOMOS 2016

How do we balance the needs for individualized health care with the public health programs serving communities - especially in the context of environmental pollution and climate change? Given a fixed set of resources, maximizing the potential of both is challenging, indeed.

22 Apr 2016