This article from the Texas A&M newspaper describes the medical research with “knockout” mice, or mice that have a specific gene turned off. The University’s Texas Institute of Genomic Medicine , part of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences specializes in developing knockout mice strains using embryonic stem cells from mice embryos, which … Continue reading
Without a conscience, what is a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist except a technician willing to follow the whims of law? (Again, this is not sound-bite material!) I received an e-mail from the American Defense Fund concerning the lawsuit against the State of Arizona by Planned Parenthood over a law to protect those of us in … Continue reading
This story illustrates the outcome of autonomy and “because we can.” How awful for this woman to lose her son in this way. However, I’m not sure that a child should be born – conceived – in such a way. Certainly not as a “grand child,” rather than a child born for his or her … Continue reading
Trait selection in babies “is a service,” says Dr. Steinberg. “We intend to offer it soon.” Whoops, someone noticed that some of this reproductive technology stuff might not be ethical. Talk about controlling parents! Eugenics is a done deal. The cat’s out of the bag. There’s no going back. (Don’t think about the 14th … Continue reading
Oddly, there is very little notice of the confirmation that Advance Cell Technology has created cloned human embryos. Current bioethics and science reporting evidently takes the creation and destruction of human embryos for granted. In fact, the embryonic humans were created with the intention of destroying them. No one – or almost no one – … Continue reading
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have finalized and published their Ethics Statement # 385. It looks like they ignored the ruling from the Department of Human Services on Conscience — or believe it will soon be overturned. The ACOG pdf is set so that it is not possible to copy and paste … Continue reading
“The motivation is abortion,” says R. Alta Charo, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “If the Supreme Court allows states to declare embryos as personhood, you would be in a position to say immediately that all abortions have to stop.” LifeEthics covered this story a few days ago, … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Times (a one time free registration may be required) finally notices that couples who initiate in vitro fertilization are “finding themselves ensnared in a debate about when life begins.” The proposed Colorado amendment states, “The term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include any human from the time of fertilization.” If it is passed, … Continue reading
>Here’s a great review about those new “induced pleuripotent stem cells” (iPS) we’ve been hearing about. iPS’s are truly “patient specific stem cells” since they come from the patient himself or herself. The cells are manipulated in the lab, using viral particles and specific environments to make the able to become many different types of … Continue reading
>My own first child is a little older than Louise Brown, the first child born from in vitro fertilization (IVF). This incidental pioneer celebrates her 30th birthday this month, calling for reviews and editorials on what her birth has meant to culture and to individuals, such as this one from the UK’s Telegraph. It’s good … Continue reading