NEWS
So-called “predatory journals” have a little scientific impact
It is common practice for researchers of certain prestige, not necessarily exceptional, to receive frequent invitations to publish or to be part of scientific advisory boards in so-called predatory journals. However, more and more proof is emerging of the scant scientific impact [...]
The focus of the pandemic is now in United States, Italy and Spain. A developing story that will be weekly updated
The United States now has more confirmed cases than any other single country, including China where the disease emerged in December 2019. Europe has also recorded hundreds of thousands of infections, with Italy and Spain worst affected (BBC, March 31, 2020). Read [...]
A still debated issue: the moment of the death of a person. A step forward
Determining the moment of death remains of singular importance for ethically assessing organ donation. Our Observatory has published many articles about this issue. A recent study discusses the issue, with particular reference to a law promoted in the United States, the “Uniform [...]
Spain Government aims that the age of 16 can access abortion without the permission of their parents
More about the idelogical measures of the new Spanish Government who now aims to ensure that adolescents under the age of 16 can access abortion without the permission of their parents which certainly seems to be contrary to the most basic provisions [...]
The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission warn seven companies over fraudulent coronavirus treatment claims
Western Governments are closely following possible abuses by pharmaceutical companies encouraged by the justified fear of the possible effects of the pandemic, now in full force in western countries. In this respect, last Monday Federal officials made public severe measures against companies [...]
European Court of Justice confirms that destruction of human embryos for research is allowed
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has recognized the Commission's competence to reject the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), entitled “One of us”, whose petition was “to prohibit and put an end to the financing, by the European Union, of [...]
Dating app for couples created using genetic information. Some technical and ethical issues to be resolved
Our Observatory has published many articles on the undoubted benefits of genetic information and the eventual risks of a wrong application of this information (read Review of direct-to-consumer genetic tests. Lights and shades.) A dating app that discards couples by DNA [...]
Germany overturns ban on euthanasia and assisted suicide with a strong opposition
Germany has joined the minority of European countries that allow euthanasia. Until now, the country had banned what it called “organized medically assisted suicide”. Last month, however, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the right to die includes the freedom to “rely on [...]
IVF embryos for scientific research. Is it necessary the consent of gamete donors to use embryos for research?
Until now, the use of the remaining IVF embryos for scientific research did not consider the consent of gamete donors when it is the case. While we disagree with the use of human embryos for investigating because it involves their destruction, informed [...]
Federal judge rules that missing data from hundreds of clinical trials conducted in the U.S. must be turned over
We have been publishing articles on the bioethical implications of breaching the laws that establish a maximum period for reporting results to clinical trial registers, in both Europe and the United States. For several reasons—we believe all unjustified— new potentially vital findings [...]
Britain proposes genome sequencing in all newborns. Medical and ethical approach
The United Kingdom has proposed that all children will be able to receive genome sequencing within a few days of birth. In relation to this, the UK Health Secretary has said that, in the future, this genetic study could be carried out [...]
Couple of women share their womb to carry the child
Otis was born on 30 September in a hospital in Essex (England) after passing through the womb of his two mothers, a lesbian couple who have been the first to test a pioneering technique called "shared motherhood ". In female couples in [...]
Functional lungs produced in mice which technique could be useful for human transplants
Lung transplant new possibilities suggest recent findings. Millions of people worldwide suffer from severe and irreversible lung diseases that require lung transplants, but this cannot always be done due to a lack of available organs. Current bioengineering therapies to regenerate these organs [...]
Biological machines – biobots – created with animal cells. Bioethical approach
New biological entity produced by synthetic biology. Biobots American scientists have published an article in the journal PNAS in which they describe a method for designing completely biological machines from scratch, based on the computer processing of multiple designs and selection of [...]
Missouri defends the human embryo’s legal status of person
Missouri is one of several American states that follow Trump's pro-life politics. In a recent article by our Observatory reporting the achievements of Trump's Administration in defense of the unborn, we listed Missouri among the states that have approved the Heartbeat bills [...]
Clinical trial reporting breaks the law in Europe and the United States. Ethical approach
Last year, we published an article (see HERE) on the reporting of clinical trial results in Europe. Now, an article in Science magazine, published under the provocative title "FDA and NIH let clinical trial sponsors keep results secret and break the law" [...]
Debate on heading in children’s football. Scottish restriction questioned
The Scottish Football Association is expected to announce a ban on children heading the ball in Scotland. The move comes after the results of a cohort study of 7676 former professional football players were published in the New England Journal of Medicine [...]
Frauds at the highest level of scientific research
Our Observatory has been reporting different frauds in scientific research (read HERE). According to the latest news, 2 cases have involved researchers of high academic level in the area of biomedical research, which has objective implications in bioethics. Uncovered Scientific frauds during [...]
Two historical milestones of the March for life in the US: ten of thousands of students and unprecedented Presidential speech
Last Friday, Washington was the scene of a march for life that marked a milestone without precedents in the 47 consecutive years of this demonstration: the new presence of thousands of young people and, the attendance of a US president for the [...]
Donation of sperm after death is debated in Britain
A new approach to alleviating the shortage of sperm donors in Britain was published in the Journal of Medical Ethics (01/08/2020). The article in question mainly centers around a proposal that would allow men to give consent for their sperm to be collected [...]
