ethics
Collecting DNA samples from migrant detainees opens door to enhanced government surveillance
[T]he United States government will begin collecting DNA samples from thousands of people detained by immigration officials, including minors, and ...
Controversial treatment for dwarfism meets clinical trial goals. Is FDA approval coming?
A treatment for the most common cause of dwarfism met its goal of increasing height in a pivotal study, the ...
Genetics pioneer George Church on support for human gene editing: As long as it’s open to everyone—rich or poor
Is it ethical to genetically engineer people? Leading geneticist George Church spends a lot of time thinking about the answer ...
Are we ignoring ‘staggering risks’ of human gene editing, including a wider gap between haves and have nots?
Biologists recently revealed a new form of the gene-editing tool known as Crispr that allows researchers to make precise changes ...
AI ethics can’t come from human medicine: Principles that guide doctors would ‘make no sense’ to a machine
The four core principles of medical ethics are respect for autonomy (patients should have control over how they are treated), ...
Viewpoint: Moving forward with human gene editing requires scientists to ‘educate, engage, and empower’ the public, policymakers
Researchers have long struggled to draw a line around ethical genome editing. While modifications to somatic cells only affect a single individual, ...
Biohacker Josiah Zayner explains how to be ethical without being ‘responsible’
Josiah Zayner is a biophysicist who made headlines in 2017 when he tried to edit his genome live onstage at a ...
Viewpoint: Why CRISPR embryo editing is not ‘morally urgent’: No one has to have a child
[He Jiankui’s CRISPR babies] brought to the surface common misunderstandings — even among scientists and ethicists — that reproductive uses of this ...
Commercialization without consent: Sanger Institute accused of violating agreements with African scientists
The Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK had planned to commercialize a genetics array based on African DNA samples, whistleblowers ...
‘Unnatural Selection’: Netflix series tackles tough CRISPR issues, including biohacking and editing children’s DNA
Is it ethical to edit your child’s DNA — or your own? Does the answer depend on whether you’re perfectly ...
‘Hacking the Code of Life’: How gene editing will lead to disease cures and nutritionally enhanced food
In “Hacking the Code of Life,” Nessa Carey explores new technology offering the power to alter the genome with increasing ...
Animals enhanced with human brain cells—and robust levels of consciousness—create new ethical dilemmas
Neuroscientist Isaac Chen from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, along with his colleagues, has written ...
Man with at least 17 children sues fertility clinic for being ‘incredibly irresponsible’ with his sperm
An Oregon doctor filed a $5.25 million lawsuit [October 2] against a fertility clinic at the Oregon Health & Science ...
Viewpoint: We aren’t ready for biomarkers that could predict how long we’ll live
Over the past several years, scientists have identified four genetic and molecular biomarkers that potentially predict human and animal longevity ...
Viewpoint: The key to ethical human germline editing is ‘slow science’
The hubris of some scientists knows no bounds. Less than a year after He Jiankui, a Chinese biophysicist, drew scorn ...
‘Wholly unethical’: Gay conversion therapy does not work
The World Psychiatric Association has declared that conversion therapy is “wholly unethical.” Yet despite the legal bans, the retractions, the ...
Viewpoint: Before we ‘summon the demon’ of AI, we need a global consensus on ethics
The potential threats of AI are many, and most people agree that ethical AI that benefits humanity as a whole ...
Asia is pulling ahead in the AI race – but are ethics being prioritized?
Globally, future outlooks for artificial intelligence (AI) swing between two extremes—excited anticipation about the positive impact AI will have on ...
Regenerative Japanese stem cell treatment raises hopes for spinal cord injuries—but sparks ethical debate
The country fast-tracked the controversial therapy, opening an international rift over who should make health care decisions ...
Why China’s willingness to push ethical boundaries with CRISPR research ‘could end up benefiting us all’
Today, [China] serves as the global center for CRISPR animal experiments, with its scientists being the first to use the ...
Artificial intelligence doesn’t ‘think’ like we do. How can we ever trust it?
Today, digital information technology has redefined how people interact with each other socially, and even how some find their partners ...
Viewpoint: Working with drug companies to help terminally ill patients gain access to experimental drugs
My colleagues and I at New York University’s Division of Medical Ethics quickly recognized that right to try could not ...
Sex robots create a lot of questions, including this one: Does it count as cheating on your human partner?
In “Turned On,” a computer scientist and sex researcher explores the surprisingly serious business of sexual companion robots (no snickering, ...
Pushing for greater diversity in genetic databases by ending ‘cycle of disengagement’
For the past 30 years, human genomics has made exciting advances in reconstructing population history and identifying which genes make ...
5 things to consider with direct-to-consumer health products
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) versions of teeth alignment kits, genetic tests, hearing aids, heart-rhythm monitors, neurostimulation devices, and mental health tools are ...
We face a host of new ethical questions including: Who actually owns your DNA?
DNA is one of the greatest medical discoveries ever. Using the tools of contemporary genetics, physicians and scientists can explore ...
Genetically engineered humans: How do we decide when it’s ethical to create them?
Bioethicist Matthew Liao is open to genetic engineering in theory, but he says he was rather horrified to learn that ...
