SPECIAL REPORTS
Uruguay regulates euthanasia: key aspects of the new legal framework and its ethical implications
Recently, the President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, signed a decree regulating Law No. 20.431, which regulates euthanasia and the right to a dignified death, recognizing the possibility for individuals to request it in accordance with [...]
The International Olympic Committee bans transgender women from competing in women’s category
On March 26, the IOC published a document outlining its new policies regarding the participation of transgender women in Olympic competitions. These new regulations will apply starting with the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 [...]
Bioethical issues in anonymous gamete donation: the genetic risk of assisted human reproduction
Gamete donation in assisted human reproduction is a topic that generates considerable debate in bioethics, centered mainly on the discussion of how to accommodate the wishes of the intended parents while respecting the rights of the children, [...]
Is there a relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and cancer prevalence? Current state of scientific evidence
A recent study presents a systematic review of clinical observational studies and preliminary studies analyzing the possible relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and the prevalence of different types of cancer. Among its conclusions, it states that [...]
Mind versus reality
What is reality, really: what we see or what we understand? Drawing on Stephen Hawking’s thought-provoking insights, this article explores the distance—and the link—between sensory experience and the deep structures that describe the universe. From [...]
Twenty years of genome-wide association studies: an essential tool for understanding the human genome
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have become an essential tool for identifying genetic variants that influence human traits and complex diseases. Through comparative analysis of the DNA of large populations, these studies allow scientists to locate [...]
A new immunogen could bring the development of a preventive HIV vaccine closer
A research team led by Spanish scientist Amelia Escolano, from the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, has developed a new experimental immunogen, called WIN332, capable of activating a specific immune response against HIV in just a [...]
Artificial intelligence, gene editing, and nuclear fusion: the technological convergence that will redefine human progress
The history of human progress is inextricably linked to scientific knowledge and technological development. Today, at the dawn of a new era marked by artificial intelligence (AI), gene editing and nuclear fusion, mankind is facing [...]
A brain implant partially restores sight to a blind patient three years after injury
A patient who had been blind for three years due to ischemic optic neuropathy has partially recovered his vision thanks to the implantation of a microelectrode array in his visual cortex. The patient, who lost [...]
The Fox Varian case: doctors who authorized her transition despite ignoring her autism and anxiety condemned for malpractice
The case of Fox Varian, who was awarded $2 million in damages after suing the doctors who facilitated her gender transition while she was a minor, reopens the debate about the lack of rigor in [...]
A genetic study on embryo inviability reopens the bioethical debate after using 139,000 human embryos
A recent study by Johns Hopkins University published in Nature has identified specific maternal genetic variants that explain the high rate of embryo inviability and pregnancy loss due to aneuploidy. Although the finding sheds light [...]
Youth loneliness, a global challenge with profound bioethical implications
Loneliness has become established as a structural and public health problem that hits adolescents particularly hard, a group where the incidence already exceeds that of people over 60. This article analyzes how exacerbated individualism and [...]
CRISPR-Cas9 and the future of food: Genetic enhancement of mycoproteins to combat the global protein shortage
Faced with the urgent challenge of eradicating global hunger and finding sustainable alternatives to meat, the latest generation of genetic engineering offers a revolutionary solution. Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, scientists have managed to optimize the fungus [...]
Synthetic biology: Creating life from scratch?
The launch of the Synthetic Human Genome Project, supported by the Wellcome Trust, marks a new milestone in genetic research by raising the possibility of creating human DNA synthetically. This advance, supported by increasingly powerful artificial [...]
Nearly 200 children born with high risk of cancer after use of sperm from the same donor
The use for nearly two decades of sperm from a single donor carrying a genetic mutation associated with an extreme risk of cancer has highlighted serious ethical and regulatory gaps in assisted reproduction. The case, [...]
Gödel: a theorem that changed our view of the universe
Considered by his contemporaries to be the greatest logician since Aristotle and deeply admired by Albert Einstein, with whom he shared his daily walks, Kurt Gödel forever transformed the foundations of knowledge by demonstrating that [...]
A study successfully integrates human organoids into pig kidneys
In a pioneering advance for regenerative medicine, a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering has successfully integrated human organoids into pig kidneys using normothermic perfusion. This demonstrates for the first time that functional mini-organs can [...]
DB-OTO replaces cochlear implants in children with genetic deafness at an exorbitant price
Gene therapy is a biotechnological achievement that represents one form of genetic modification in humans for health applications, a field that received a massive boost after the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. [...]
Gene therapy saves a baby with a rare genetic disorder
A new scientific study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has revealed promising results in the treatment of CPS1 enzyme deficiency, one of the most serious and rare urea cycle disorders. The congenital [...]
Social networks, digital screen exposure, and neurodevelopmental disorders
Growing concern about the impact of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents has prompted decisive action: New York City is suing tech giants for fostering digital addiction. At the same time, [...]