BIOETHICS NEWS Nº 30

Observatorio de Bioética, UCVBIOETHICS NEWS Archivos - Observatorio de Bioética, UCV

REPORTS

Children with two genetic mothers and a genetic father from a personalistic bioethics perspective This practice can genetically modify the germline  by being genetically linked three people. On 3rd February 2015, House of Commons gave the green light …Leer más.

NEWS

Homosexuality gene: does it really exist? Is homosexuality associated with a genetic alteration - an homosexuality gene? This is an issue that is often debated, and is of unquestionable ethical interest. Now, the question has been raised again …  Leer más.

Medical malpractice - Could Macchiarini be charged?     Paolo Macchiarini is the surgeon who performed the first artificial trachea transplant. …  Leer más.

Cell therapy with iPS cells for corneal lesions Cell therapy using adult stem cells or IPs cells (reprogrammed cells).One of the most promising clinical areas is in the field of eye diseases. The cornea is … Leer más.

IN BRIEF

iPS cells research in Barth syndrome patients  Barth syndrome which is a rare X-linked genetic disease that causes abnormalities in the heart and muscles, as well as a reduction in the number of neutrophils (white blood cells). Now, iPS cells …Leer más.

Pregnant teenagers - 600,000 in the USA alone! More than 600,000  pregnant teenagers in United States each year before they reach 20 years of age (New England Journal of Medicine 2014; 371, 1316-1323).

Good news! HIV positive patients treated with antiretrovirals is on the increase HIV positive patients treated with antiretrovirals has been increasing, particularly where the infection is more widespread. …Leer más.

HIV statistics fall by at least 50% in 26 countries HIV statistics are improving. Between 2001 and 2012, the number of HIV-positive individuals fell by at least 50% in 26 countries (16 of them in sub-Saharan Africa). Despite this good news, it is estimated that there are 1.5 million newly diagnosed patients in this region of Africa, and 2.3 million worldwide (The Lancet 384; 272-279,2014).

Sexual violence against women: a review in 56 countries Sexual violence against women - 7.2% of women have been victims! Sexual violence against women is a serious problem that does not seem to be lessening. A systematic review (The Lancet 383; 1648-1654, 2014) evaluated the problem and provided extensive data on it. The review included 7231 studies, from which 42 were selected, conducted in 56 countries. In 2012, 7.2% of women had suffered … Leer más.

Birth control pills and thromboembolic events Repeated thromboembolic events in women taking birth control pills. Now, an 18-year-old woman who was taking a contraceptive (desogestrel) for a few months …  Leer más.

In vitro fertilization: thromboembolic problems A recent study (Human Reproduction 29; 611-617,2014) appears to confirm this. Since the incidence of thrombosis was 27.9 … Leer más.

In vitro fertilization evaluation - who is telling the truth? In vitro fertilization evaluation - A new system for stimulating ovulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization has been evaluated but … Leer más.

Organ trafficking continues to rise Organ trafficking is a problem that is continuing to rise. More than 114,000 organs are transplanted annually worldwide. However, not all are altruistic. Thus, it is estimated that 5% to 10% of kidney transplants are the result of commercial transactions. To that end, a Convention against trafficking in human organs, adopted by the Council of Europe, will try to find … Leer más.

Long transplant waiting lists in China and India In 2013, there were between 200,000 and 300,000 patients in China and India on the transplant waiting list, although only 2271 were donated (The Lancet 373; 1971-1972, 2014).

Organ donation campaign in China Organ donation in China is still a limited practice, so legal regulations have been enacted to try to encourage it. There were 1441 donations between 2010 and 2013 (after cardiac death was diagnosed in the donor), and 3903 organs were transplanted. If we consider that there are 846,510 violent deaths in China each year, we can infer that the number … Leer más.

Stem cell research tragedy Two studies  caused a great stir. However, it was later shown that the method had defects, so both studies had to be retracted. As a … Leer más.

Parkinson's Disease effects in Europe Parkinson disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Its annual cost in Europe in 2010 was around 14,000 million Euros, and its effect on the quality of life of patients and their families is incalculable (The Lancet 383; 1107-1109, 2014).

Cord blood - A new product using cord blood stem cells has been developed Stem cells from umbilical cord blood The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved one single cell therapy with stem cells to date. This is Hemacor,  …Leer más.

Gene therapy: new potencial  Gene therapy possibility , which in general does not have any ethical difficulties Gene therapy is a therapeutic possibility that will surely have great prospects in the coming years, and which in generaldoes not have any ethical difficulties … Leer más.

Lungs are unique - they can regenerate after an injury Lung diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The lungs are unique in that they can regenerate after an injury, which could permit this pulmonary ability to be used to regenerate damaged lung tissue. A recent study … Leer más.

Eye disease: usefulness of gene therapy  Some eye deseases can be treated nowadays by  cell therapy…Leer más.