Bioethics in the News

The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity compiled these news stories:

Dutch hospital to lead organ trafficking probe  
Medical and police authorities are launching a major international probe into the illegal trafficking in human organs for transplants, to help clamp down on the crime. (Associated Press) 
 


New genetic test provides precise, yet hazy results  
Chromosomal microarrary technology can detect more genetic abnormalities, but it can raise more questions. (U.S.A. Today)

Irish abortion debate flares over death of critically ill woman who was denied an abortion
  The debate over legalizing abortion in Ireland flared Wednesday after the government confirmed that a woman in the midst of a miscarriage was refused an abortion and died in an Irish hospital after suffering from blood poisoning. (Washington Post)

Pancreas stem cell discovery may lead to new diabetes treatments
  Stem cells in the adult pancreas have been identified that can be turned into insulin producing cells, a finding that means people with type 1 diabetes might one day be able to regenerate their own insulin-producing cells. (Medical Xpress)

In ‘The Suicide Plan’ Frontline explores hidden world of assisted suicide
  In “The Suicide Plan” — which airs Tuesday evening on PBS’s Frontline (check local listings) filmmakers Miri Navasky and Karen O’Connor take viewers inside the surprisingly coordinated underground world of assisted suicide in the United States. (PBS)

Medical tourism: 1 in 3 open to traveling for treatments, poll finds
  Nearly a third of people surveyed around the world say they are open to the idea of medical tourism—traveling abroad to enjoy cheaper medical or dental treatment, according to a new poll. (Huffington Post)

New kidney allocation proposal is ethically unacceptable
  A new rule about kidney allocation would increase efficiency, but it is unjust in the way it distributes organs. (U.S. News and World Report)

Early end-of-life talks tied to less aggressive care
  Terminally-ill cancer patients are less likely to get aggressive end-of-life treatment, such as chemotherapy in the last two weeks of life, when they talk with their doctors early on about how they want to die, according to a new study. (Reuters)

Identical twins’ genes research suggests siblings are genetically different
 Identical twins may not be so identical after all. Even though identical twins supposedly share all of their DNA, they acquire hundreds of genetic changes early in development that could set them on different paths, according to new research. (Huffington Post)

Largest U.S. genetic biobank reveals early findings
  Researchers who have assembled a trove of genetic and medical data on 100,000 northern Californians unveiled their initial findings here this week at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). (Science) 


Immune system breakthrough gives hope to IVF
  Scientists from IVF Australia believe women who suffer recurrent miscarriages or IVF failures could have an immune system that is too healthy, consistently rejecting any invading cells, including the fathers’ genes. (Herald Sun)