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Badea AR, Feeney O. Genome Editing Dilemma: Navigating Dual-Use Potential and Charting the Path Forward. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2024:10.1007/s11673-024-10358-8. [PMID: 39046699 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-024-10358-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Contemporary genome editing techniques have made genomic intervention-from microorganism to human-more accessible, easier to use, and more accurate than previous methods. We argue that, notwithstanding its merits in treating and preventing disease in humans, genome editing represents a potential threat for domestic and international security, requiring an integrated approach in regulating, detecting, preventing, and mitigating the risk of its use for malicious purposes. Despite the global regulatory ambitions of the 2021 WHO framework, we see insufficient attention given to the future prospect of dual-use genomic technology. Drawing parallels with the nuclear field, we suggest tentative practical steps for a way forward in dealing with genome editing technologies, such as: 1) adapting national (bio)security and defence strategies to include genome editing as a possible threat (with conceivable WMD potential); 2) enhancing the international dialogue on genome editing and raising the issue at the highest level; 3) working towards a global, legally binding verification mechanism; 4) tracking genome editing technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ruxandra Badea
- University of Bucharest, Faculty of Philosophy, Splaiul Independentei 204, 060024, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Oliver Feeney
- University of Tübingen, Ethics of Genome Editing Research Unit, Institute of Ethics and History of Medicine, Gartenstr. 47, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
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Moustafa K. CRISPR: Beyond the Excitement. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2024:10.1007/s11673-023-10295-y. [PMID: 38261130 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-023-10295-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
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Nelson JP, Selin CL. Seven open questions in the futures of human genome editing. FUTURES 2023; 149:103138. [PMID: 37484876 PMCID: PMC10358607 DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2023.103138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Scholarly discussion around the governance of human genome editing (HGE) recognizes that development and application of HGE techniques could result in unexpected societal outcomes. However, it contains few to no methodological models for how to anticipate, prepare for, or shape such outcomes. This article presents early-stage results from research guided by anticipatory governance, a framework for broad expert and public consideration of innovation processes and purposes. We present and discuss key themes emerging from a set of future-oriented interviews with genome editing practitioners and experts, designed to inform broadly scoped deliberations about plausible futures of HGE. We articulate our results as seven "open questions," the answers to which will be important components of HGE's eventual shape and outcomes. Some themes are perennial in studies of science and society, and others are more novel to HGE. Each helps to reframe HGE beyond a simple comparison of risk and benefit. Such reframing opens up new and important terrain for discussion among policymakers, academics, scientists, and publics. We suggest that discussion framed around broad and reflexive questions like those presented here will help governance efforts to better acknowledge and flexibly respond to the uncertainty and complexities of HGE developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Nelson
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, 1120 South Cady Mall, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5603
| | - Cynthia L. Selin
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society/Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes, Arizona State University, 1120 South Cady Mall, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5603
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4
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Hereth B. Moral Neuroenhancement for Prisoners of War. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-022-09482-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Bailey Z, Mahoney P, Miron M, Bricknell M. Thematic Analysis of Military Medical Ethics Publications From 2000 to 2020-A Bibliometric Approach. Mil Med 2021; 187:e837-e845. [PMID: 34331064 PMCID: PMC9248292 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usab317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction There has been external criticism of the compliance of military health personnel with internationally agreed principles in military medical ethics (MME). In response, a number of authors have called for clarity on the principles and topics within the domain of MME. This complements an increased acknowledgment of the need for education in MME for military health personnel. Our paper utilizes bibliometric techniques to identify key themes in MME to inform the development of a curriculum for this subject. Materials and Methods We designed a search strategy to find publications over the period January 1, 2000-December 31, 2020 in the domain of MME from the three databases, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, using the search string (ethic* OR bioethics* OR moral*) AND military AND (medic* OR health*). We obtained a total of 1,115 publications after duplication removal. After exclusion based on topic, year, and study design, we analyzed a total of 633 publications using Scopus’s embedded analysis tool and the software VOSViewer. We generated a co-occurrence word map from the abstracts of each of the publications. We deduced themes of MME based on the clusters shown in the word map, and we categorized each publication into one of these themes to analyze the change of themes over time. Results We observed a 10-fold increase in annual publications on MME between 2000 and 2020. The majority of papers were written by U.S. (72%) and UK (13%) authors, although a total of 15 countries were represented. After using VOSViewer to identify co-occurring keywords in titles and abstracts from these publications, nine themes were identified: biomedical research, care to detained populations, disaster/triage, mental health, patient-focused foundations, technology, dual loyalty, education/training, and frameworks. The relative proportion of each of these themes changed over the study period, with mental health being dominant by the end. Conclusions This study has identified key themes that might inform the development of a curriculum for teaching MME. It is noticeable that the majority of themes cover MME from the perspective of professional practice on military operations; noting, the research and technology themes also pertain to the generation of knowledge for military operations. There were a limited number of publications covering practice in the non-deployed or garrison settings, and these were codified under the themes of “framework” and “dual loyalty”. The results are skewed toward English-speaking countries and exclude non-academic publications. Further work will search for other open-source information and non-English publications. To our knowledge, this exploratory bibliometric analysis on MME in the academic literature is the first of its kind. This article has demonstrated the use of bibliometric techniques to evaluate the evolution of knowledge in MME, including the identification of key themes. These will be used to support further work to develop a curriculum for the teaching of MME to military medical audiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Bailey
- U.S. Military Graduate Education, Air Force Institute of Technology-Civilian Institute, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7765, USA.,Conflict and Health Research Group, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.,Centre for Military Ethics, Defence Academy, Swindon SN6 8LA, UK
| | - Peter Mahoney
- Conflict and Health Research Group, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.,Centre for Military Ethics, Defence Academy, Swindon SN6 8LA, UK
| | - Marina Miron
- Conflict and Health Research Group, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.,Centre for Military Ethics, Defence Academy, Swindon SN6 8LA, UK
| | - Martin Bricknell
- Conflict and Health Research Group, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK.,Centre for Military Ethics, Defence Academy, Swindon SN6 8LA, UK
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Applications of CRISPR-Cas9 as an Advanced Genome Editing System in Life Sciences. BIOTECH 2021; 10:biotech10030014. [PMID: 35822768 PMCID: PMC9245484 DOI: 10.3390/biotech10030014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted nucleases are powerful genomic tools to precisely change the target genome of living cells, controlling functional genes with high exactness. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) genome editing system has been identified as one of the most useful biological tools in genetic engineering that is taken from adaptive immune strategies for bacteria. In recent years, this system has made significant progress and it has been widely used in genome editing to create gene knock-ins, knock-outs, and point mutations. This paper summarizes the application of this system in various biological sciences, including medicine, plant science, and animal breeding.
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Schwartz PH. Ethics of Gene Therapy in the Military: Promise and Potential Problems. Mol Ther 2020; 28:987-988. [PMID: 32208167 PMCID: PMC7132612 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter H Schwartz
- Indiana University Center for Bioethics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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Ayanoğlu FB, Elçin AE, Elçin YM. Bioethical issues in genome editing by CRISPR-Cas9 technology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 44:110-120. [PMID: 32256147 PMCID: PMC7129066 DOI: 10.3906/biy-1912-52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Genome editing technologies have led to fundamental changes in genetic science. Among them, CRISPR-Cas9 technology particularly stands out due to its advantages such as easy handling, high accuracy, and low cost. It has made a quick introduction in fields related to humans, animals, and the environment, while raising difficult questions, applications, concerns, and bioethical issues to be discussed. Most concerns stem from the use of CRISPR-Cas9 to genetically alter human germline cells and embryos (called germline genome editing). Germline genome editing leads to serial bioethical issues, such as the occurrence of undesirable changes in the genome, from whom and how informed consent is obtained, and the breeding of the human species (eugenics). However, the bioethical issues that CRISPR-Cas9 technology could cause in the environment, agriculture and livestock should also not be forgotten. In order for CRISPR-Cas9 to be used safely in all areas and to solve potential issues, worldwide legislation should be prepared, taking into account the opinions of both life and social scientists, policy makers, and all other stakeholders of the sectors, and CRISPR-Cas9 applications should be implemented according to such legislations. However, these controls should not restrict scientific freedom. Here, various applications of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, especially in medicine and agriculture, are described and ethical issues related to genome editing using CRISPR-Cas9 technology are discussed. The social and bioethical concerns in relation to human beings, other organisms, and the environment are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Betül Ayanoğlu
- Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Ankara University Faculty of Science,Ankara University Biotechnology Institute, Ankara University Stem Cell Institute, Ankara Turkey
| | - Ayşe Eser Elçin
- Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Ankara University Faculty of Science,Ankara University Biotechnology Institute, Ankara University Stem Cell Institute, Ankara Turkey
| | - Yaşar Murat Elçin
- Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Ankara University Faculty of Science,Ankara University Biotechnology Institute, Ankara University Stem Cell Institute, Ankara Turkey.,Biovalda Health Technologies, Inc., Ankara Turkey
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Ranisch R. Germline Gene Editing and Genetic Enhancement: The Value of(Non-)Positional Goods. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:45-47. [PMID: 31237521 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2019.1618956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
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Abstract
PURPOSE CRISPR is often called one of the century's most important discoveries and is commonly discussed in terms of its momentous potential impacts. This study analyzed how CRISPR is discussed in the North American popular press, including how it is defined, and which benefits and risks/concerns are attributed to the technology. METHODS Using the Factiva database, we identified 228 relevant, nonduplicated articles containing either "CRISPR" or "C.R.I.S.P.R.," published in popular US and Canadian news sources between 1 January 2012 and 12 July 2017. Content analysis was performed on the articles. RESULTS CRISPR is most often discussed in the context of human health (83.8%), compared with animals (26.3%) and plants (20.6%). Nearly all articles (96.1%) presented CRISPR's potential benefits; 61.4% of articles presented CRISPR-related risks/concerns, the vast majority of which focused on the uncertainty surrounding CRISPR, specifically with respect to germline modifications. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the discourse suggests a strong promotion of CRISPR, but an element of caution is also evident. Technical as well as ethical, legal, and social risks/concerns play a prominent role. This media portrayal of CRISPR might help facilitate more sophisticated and balanced policy responses, where the scientific potential of the technology is highlighted alongside broader social considerations.
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Ashby MA, Morrell B. Embedded Journalists or Empirical Critics? The Nature of The "Gaze" in Bioethics. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2018; 15:305-307. [PMID: 30341675 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-018-9879-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Ashby
- Palliative Care Service, Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmanian Health Service, and School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, 1st Floor, Peacock Building, Repatriation Centre, 90 Davey Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.
| | - Bronwen Morrell
- Sydney Health Ethics, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Level 1, Medical Foundation Building, K25, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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