UK Gov't Signals Partial Compromise on Controversial Embryo Bill Mar 27, 2008
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, welcomed the prime minister's compromise, but also reiterated a church call for the establishment of a national bioethics committee "to act as the focal point for discussion and advice on these matters.". O'Connor pointed to what he called "exciting developments in research using adult stem cells that do not involve the deliberate creation and destruction of human life, or the mixing of human and animal life.". (CNSnews.com)
Doctors won't prescribe oral contraceptives Feb 21, 2008
At hospitals, doctors have a right to refuse to perform certain procedures, such as abortion, if their conscience dictates it, according to Dr. Raul Zimmerman, chairman of the Halifax Health Medical Center's Bioethics Committee. It's called a conscience clause. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Peers and church leaders oppose test-tube baby Bill plan Nov 19, 2007
Archbishop Mario Conti, chairman of the Joint Catholic Bioethics Committee of Britain and Ireland, said: "We are frankly appalled at proposals ... which break down the natural bonds of family life linked with procreation.". The new Bill. (Independent)
Italian bioethics committee in uproar Oct 25, 2007
Members of the National Bioethics Committee are nominated directly by the Italian prime minister, and have in the past been predominantly Catholic. To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right). (Nature News Service)
Singapore Gains on Bush Suppression of Stem Cell Research Among Scientists Sep 26, 2007
The difficulty of translating lab research into commercial applications is what Lim, the head of Singapore's bioethics committee, says keeps him up at night. Singapore needs its bet on biomedical science to succeed in order to ensure future prosperity, says Lim, who remembers the poverty and bloody racial riots on the street in the 1960s when the former British colony was thrown out of a federation with Malaysia. (Bloomberg)
Leave UK hybrid embryo decisions to experts: panel Aug 1, 2007
The report also recommended the establishment of a joint parliamentary bioethics committee and asked for more clarity about the proposed ban on human cloning and the creation of embryos for IVF treatment from genetic material of two women. Free Newsletters. (Scientific American)
Shakers: Business personalities in the news Jul 26, 2007
The Indian billionaire Azim Premji, who transformed Wipro from a maker of vegetable oils into a major computer services provider in India, has said that he has no plans to pass the reins to his son Rishad because he lacks sufficient experience. " Premji, 62, took charge of Wipro when he was 21, after his father's death. He has since transformed a $2 million company into a global technology group with $2.5 billion in sales and about 72,000 employees. Rishad Premji last week became a business... (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
Designer bug holds key to endless fuel Jun 10, 2007
His institute convened a bioethics committee to see if its plans were likely to raise objections. The committee had no objections but pointed out that scientists must take responsibility for any impact their new organisms had if they got out of the lab. (The Age)
Pillow angel' surgery broke law May 12, 2007
"It was like seeing a baby in a much larger body," said Dr. Douglas Diekema, director of education at Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics in Seattle and chairman of the bioethics committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who was brought in to consult on this case. "She would never talk, never walk, and was dependent on her parents to meet all her needs. Her cognitive function was the equivalent of that of an infant, unlikely to ever change." Family members call her their "pillow... (CNN International)
CATHY RUSE: Human hens and stem cells Apr 10, 2007
The South Korean National Bioethics Committee later revealed this claim was false, but the world learned of the exploitation in obtaining the 2,221 human eggs he used while failing to create even one stem cell line. In fact, scientists do not know how many eggs are needed to create a single stem cell line from cloned human embryos. (Washington Times)
South Korea To Resume Human Egg Cloning Mar 26, 2007
The National Bioethics Committee decided Friday to permit restricted cloned stem cell research in 2008 after 12 of its 20 members voted for the measure. The Ministry of Health and Welfare will revise relevant regulations and pick institutes for the research. (Playfuls.com)
Government toughens rules on DNA tests Jan 17, 2007
The new guidelines were approved by the National Bioethics Committee last week ... Following the remark, the Health Ministry and the National Bioethics Committee opened discussions for new guidelines, in October last year. (Korea Herald, Korea)
Four sets of parents want a "Pillow Angel" Jan 9, 2007
"This was something people hadn't thought about being a possibility, much less being done," says Diekema, who chairs the bioethics committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics and was brought in to consult on this case. For the ethics committee of Seattle Children's Hospital, which reviewed the proposed treatment, "it took time to get past the initial response -- 'wow this is bizarre,'-- and think seriously about the reasons for the parents' request," says Diekema. (Xinhuanet, China)
Seoul tightens bioethics guidelines Nov 22, 2006
The revised law on generative and embryonic cells will be reviewed by the National Bioethics Committee today. "To attain safety of donors and solve ethical matters during the use of generative cells, we have decided to revise the law to a large degree," the ministry's bioethics team said. (Korea Herald, Korea)
- Henry Porter Nov 3, 2006
According to the report by the Nuffield Bioethics Committee, the database is increasing by 40,000 samples every month. The chairman of the committee, Sir Bob Hepple, says with astonishment that I share: "We didn't have any legislation to establish the DNA database and it has not been debated in parliament.". (Guardian Unlimited)
Row over new stem cell claims Aug 25, 2006
Father Dan Fitzpatrick of the Catholic Church's joint bioethics committee said: "One of the main principles of research is normally consent of the individual. "Embryos cannot give consent and the people they could become will obviously have had no say on whether cells should have been removed. Even if they are not destroying the embryo they are still putting it at some risk. (The Herald)
Teen's case shines spotlight on alternative therapy Aug 14, 2006
In such a case, a bioethics committee at the hospital would examine the case to see whether the hospital should seek medical power of attorney, and whether the family should be reported. Burke said she also considers how well the child and the family understand the consequences. (Virginian Pilot)
Cardinal to reignite abortion row Jun 21, 2006
The cardinal will also press the health secretary to set up a national bioethics committee to robustly discuss issues surrounding end of life and embryo science. He is said to be concerned about the creeping moves towards genetic screening and so-called designer babies. (BBC News -- UK)
AIDS orphans' privacy is subject of court battle May 10, 2006
" On March 1, the same day Jin and Gao filed the suit against China Times, the Regulation on Preventing and Treating HIV/AIDS took effect. The regulation, enacted by the State Council, stipulates that the names and health conditions of HIV/AIDS patients and their relatives not be publicized without written consent. Fighting prejudice The suit asks that the newspaper publish a full-page apology and pay Xiaoli 100,000 yuan (US$12,500). Jin said the suit is not to punish the newspaper, but to make... (Xinhuanet, China -- China)
UCSF resumes human embryo stem cell work May 7, 2006
To us that's one of the most attractive features of this approach," he said. The experimental protocol was approved by a special bioethics committee created by the university to study any project in which reproductive tissues are involved. A separate panel endorsed the project's scientific merits. The project has roots in an effort conducted at UCSF in 1999 and early 2001 that failed to produce any of the prized stem cell lines. The lead researcher at that time, Roger Pedersen, eventually... (San Francisco Chronicle)
A matter of life or death for babies Apr 6, 2006
In the Netherlands, babies born below 25 weeks do not usually receive treatment, while a British bioethics committee is considering a 24-week limit and expects to report later this year. International research shows that on average parents want more to be done to save their child than healthcare professionals think reasonable. (Sydney Morning Herald)
South Korean experts call for continued backing for stem cell ... Mar 17, 2006
"Reproductive medicine using stem cells has a lot more possibility of providing many patients with dramatic help than any other existing technologies," said Cho Han-ik, vice chairman of the National Bioethics Committee. "Stem cell research should be encouraged and backed.". (China Post)
Clone pioneer to be prosecuted Feb 7, 2006
In a series of damaging revelations about Hwang, the National Bioethics Committee said last week he had lied about eggs from his junior researchers. Force. (Aljazeera.Net)
