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Skeard J. "Unnatural resources?": parallels and distinctions between the Newfoundland Genome and traditional resource sectors. J Community Genet 2024:10.1007/s12687-024-00715-w. [PMID: 38896389 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-024-00715-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has a long history of resource development, exploitation, and frequent mismanagement. Even before joining the Canadian confederation in 1949, industries such as mining, fishing, and forestry had significantly shaped the province. Recently, a new "resource" has been recognized: NL's genetic data, often described as a "genetic gold mine" and "the new oil." These analogies reflect the perception of genetic data as a valuable resource, resonating in a province historically reliant on resource extraction. Since the early 2000s, NL's genetic data has been recognized as a unique asset, prompting provincial reports on its management. Renewed interest has emerged with a local biotechnology company aiming to leverage NL's unique genetic architecture. This paper examines the implications of conceptualizing genetic information as a resource, exploring how this fits within existing resource development frameworks and policies, and considering its potential to shape policies for managing the benefits and burdens of genetic data exploitation. I conclude that while the NL genome is not a natural resource in the traditional sense, the province nevertheless needs to take more direct responsibility for its development and to ensure that any potential benefits from exploiting it are shared with the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle Skeard
- Interdisciplinary Studies, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
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2
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Shevchenko S, Zhavoronkov A. The Role of Exceptionalism in the Evolution of Bioethical Regulation. Camb Q Healthc Ethics 2024; 33:185-197. [PMID: 37288492 DOI: 10.1017/s0963180123000336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The paper aims to present a critical analysis of the phenomenon and notion of exceptionalism in bioethics. The authors demonstrate that exceptionalism pertains to phenomena that are not (yet) entirely familiar to us and could potentially bear risks regarding their regulation. After an overview of the state of the art, we briefly describe the origins and evolution of the concept, compared to exception and exclusion. In the second step, they look at the overall development debates on genetic exceptionalism, compared to other bioethical debates on exceptionalism, before presenting a detailed analysis of a specific case of early regulation of genetic screening. In the last part, the authors explain the historical background behind the connection between exceptionalism and exclusion in these debates. Their main conclusion is that while the initial stage of the discussion is shaped by the concept of exceptionalism and awareness of risks of exclusion, the later development centers around exceptions that are needed in detailed regulatory procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexey Zhavoronkov
- Institut für Philosophie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
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4
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Pereira L, Haidar CE, Haga SB, Cisler AG, Hall A, Shukla SK, Hebbring SJ, Leary EJW. Assessment of the current status of real-world pharmacogenomic testing: informed consent, patient education, and related practices. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1355412. [PMID: 38410134 PMCID: PMC10895424 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1355412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The practice of informed consent (IC) for pharmacogenomic testing in clinical settings varies, and there is currently no consensus on which elements of IC to provide to patients. This study aims to assess current IC practices for pharmacogenomic testing. Methods: An online survey was developed and sent to health providers at institutions that offer clinical germline pharmacogenomic testing to assess current IC practices. Results: Forty-six completed surveys representing 43 clinical institutions offering pharmacogenomic testing were received. Thirty-two (74%) respondents obtain IC from patients with variability in elements incorporated. Results revealed that twenty-nine (67%) institutions discuss the benefits, description, and purpose of pharmacogenomic testing with patients. Less commonly discussed elements included methodology and accuracy of testing, and laboratory storage of samples. Discussion: IC practices varied widely among survey respondents. Most respondents desire the establishment of consensus IC recommendations from a trusted pharmacogenomics organization to help address these disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Pereira
- Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, Marshfield, WI, United States
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Cyrine-Eliana Haidar
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Susanne B Haga
- Program in Precision Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Anna G Cisler
- Medical Genetics, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, Marshfield, WI, United States
| | - April Hall
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Sanjay K Shukla
- Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, Marshfield, WI, United States
| | - Scott J Hebbring
- Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, Marshfield, WI, United States
| | - Emili J W Leary
- Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, Marshfield, WI, United States
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5
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Lyle K, Weller S, Horton R, Lucassen A. Immortal data: a qualitative exploration of patients' understandings of genomic data. Eur J Hum Genet 2023; 31:681-686. [PMID: 37002328 PMCID: PMC10250296 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-023-01325-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
As ambitions to 'mainstream' genetic and genomic medicine in the UK advance, patients are increasingly exposed to information about genomic data. Unlike the results of many other medical investigations which are linked to the time of sample collection, genomic testing provides immortal data that do not change across time, and may have relevance for relatives and generations far beyond the patient's own lifespan. This immortality raises new ethical challenges for healthcare professionals, patients and families alike, such as ensuring consent for possible future interpretations; determining when genomic data are best sought (at birth, on illness etc) and reinterpreted; and balancing the confidentiality of patients and duties of care towards others. This paper reports on qualitative work exploring the perspectives of patients and relatives participating in genomic testing, and suggests that their engagements with this immortality are shaped by: the contrast between the simplicity of sample provision and information gathered; understandings of heritability; and notions of genomic data as a collective resource. We discuss the implications this holds for practice and argue that the immortality of genomic data must take a more prominent position in patient and healthcare professional interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Lyle
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK.
| | - Susie Weller
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Personalised Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rachel Horton
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Personalised Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anneke Lucassen
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS), Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- Centre for Personalised Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Young MA, Yanes T, Cust AE, Dunlop K, Limb S, Newson AJ, Purvis R, Thiyagarajan L, Scott RJ, Verma K, James PA, Steinberg J. Human Genetics Society of Australasia Position Statement: Use of Polygenic Scores in Clinical Practice and Population Health. Twin Res Hum Genet 2023; 26:40-48. [PMID: 36950972 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2023.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Considerable progress continues to be made with regards to the value and use of disease associated polygenic scores (PGS). PGS aim to capture a person's genetic liability to a condition, disease, or a trait, combining information across many risk variants and incorporating their effect sizes. They are already available for clinicians and consumers to order in Australasia. However, debate is ongoing over the readiness of this information for integration into clinical practice and population health. This position statement provides the viewpoint of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA) regarding the clinical application of disease-associated PGS in both individual patients and population health. The statement details how PGS are calculated, highlights their breadth of possible application, and examines their current challenges and limitations. We consider fundamental lessons from Mendelian genetics and their continuing relevance to PGS, while also acknowledging the distinct elements of PGS. Use of PGS in practice should be evidence based, and the evidence for the associated benefit, while rapidly emerging, remains limited. Given that clinicians and consumers can already order PGS, their current limitations and key issues warrant consideration. PGS can be developed for most complex conditions and traits and can be used across multiple clinical settings and for population health. The HGSA's view is that further evaluation, including regulatory, implementation and health system evaluation are required before PGS can be routinely implemented in the Australasian healthcare system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary-Anne Young
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tatiane Yanes
- Dermatology Research Centre, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anne E Cust
- The Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kate Dunlop
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sharne Limb
- Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospitals, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ainsley J Newson
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Health Ethics. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebecca Purvis
- Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospitals, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lavvina Thiyagarajan
- The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rodney J Scott
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
- Division of Molecular Medicine, NSW Health Pathology North, New Lambton, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kunal Verma
- Monash Genetics, Monash Health, Melbourn, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Heart, Monash Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul A James
- Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospitals, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Julia Steinberg
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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7
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Tiller JM, Bakshi A, Brotchie AR, Green RC, Winship IM, Lacaze P. Public willingness to participate in population DNA screening in Australia. J Med Genet 2022:jmg-2022-108921. [DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2022-108921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundPopulation-based DNA screening for medically actionable conditions has the potential to improve public health by enabling early detection, treatment and/or prevention; however, public attitudes and willingness to participate in DNA screening have not been well investigated.MethodsWe presented a scenario to members of the Australian public, randomly selected from the electoral roll via the Australian Survey of Societal Attitudes, describing an adult population DNA screening programme currently under development, to detect risk of medically actionable cancers and heart disease. We asked questions regarding willingness to participate and pay, preferred delivery methods and concerns.ResultsWe received 1060 completed questionnaires (response rate 23%, mean age 58 years). The vast majority (>92%) expressed willingness to undertake DNA screening. When asked about the optimal age of screening, most (56%) favoured early adulthood (aged 18–40 years) rather than at birth or childhood. Many respondents would prefer samples and data be kept for re-screening (36%) or research use (43%); some preferred samples to be destroyed (21%). Issues that decrease likelihood of participation included privacy (75%) and insurance (86%) implications.ConclusionOur study demonstrates public willingness to participate in population DNA screening in Australia, and identifies barriers to participation, to be addressed in the design of screening programmes. Results are informing the development of a pilot national DNA screening programme.
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Butler T, Brown J, Jacobson PA, Stenehjem D. Perceptions of pharmacogenetic exceptionalism and the implications for clinical management within an electronic health record. Clin Transl Sci 2022; 15:2265-2274. [PMID: 35833242 PMCID: PMC9468565 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic exceptionalism refers to a concept that genetic information is distinct from other health data and therefore should have additional safety guards in place. The objective of this study was to establish perceptions of pharmacogenetic (PGx) exceptionalism and genetic information privacy and management within the electronic health record (EHR) from individuals who attended a PGx-focused conference. A 47-question survey was distributed to 370 attendees at a PGx conference in September 2020. The survey assessed demographics, professional characteristics, perceptions of PGx exceptionalism, knowledge of genetic laws and regulations, and EHR management of PGx information. Of the 370 participants invited to take the survey, 30% (n = 110) responded. Most respondents were pharmacists with postgraduate training (76.2%, n = 48). When asked whether PGx information was exceptional, 44% of respondents agreed while 32% disagreed. Agreement with PGx exceptionalism was associated most with respondents' lack of familiarity or knowledge with PGx. Over two-thirds (67%) felt that all members of the healthcare team should be able to access their patients' PGx information without restriction in the EHR. This study identified a lack of unanimity in the perception of PGx exceptionalism and the management of PGx information within the EHR across attendees of a PGx conference. Describing the perception of accessibility of PGx information within the EHR is important to ascertain for designing privacy-related technology, institutional management policies, and legal regulations as this area in genetics is increasingly being implemented into clinical care and clinical standards of care need to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiana Butler
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of PharmacyUniversity of MinnesotaDuluthMinnesotaUSA
| | - Jacob Brown
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of PharmacyUniversity of MinnesotaDuluthMinnesotaUSA
| | - Pamala A. Jacobson
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of PharmacyUniversity of MinnesotaDuluthMinnesotaUSA
| | - David Stenehjem
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of PharmacyUniversity of MinnesotaDuluthMinnesotaUSA
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9
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Dupras C, Bunnik EM. Response to Open Peer Commentaries on Toward a Framework for Assessing Privacy Risks in Multi-Omic Research and Databases. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2022; 22:W4-W6. [PMID: 35943524 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2022.2105436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
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10
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Bak MAR, Willems DL. Contextual Exceptionalism After Death: An Information Ethics Approach to Post-Mortem Privacy in Health Data Research. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2022; 28:32. [PMID: 35922650 PMCID: PMC9349167 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-022-00387-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we use the theory of Information Ethics to argue that deceased people have a prima facie moral right to privacy in the context of health data research, and that this should be reflected in regulation and guidelines. After death, people are no longer biological subjects but continue to exist as informational entities which can still be harmed/damaged. We find that while the instrumental value of recognising post-mortem privacy lies in the preservation of the social contract for health research, its intrinsic value is grounded in respect for the dignity of the post-mortem informational entity. However, existing guidance on post-mortem data protection is available only in the context of genetic studies. In comparing the characteristics of genetic data and other health-related data, we identify two features of DNA often given as arguments for this genetic exceptionalism: relationality and embodiment. We use these concepts to show that at the appropriate Level of Abstraction, there is no morally relevant distinction between posthumous genetic and other health data. Thus, genetic data should not automatically receive special moral status after death. Instead we make a plea for 'contextual exceptionalism'. Our analysis concludes by reflecting on a real-world case and providing suggestions for contextual factors that researchers and oversight bodies should take into account when designing and evaluating research projects with health data from deceased subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke A. R. Bak
- Department of Ethics, Law and Humanities, Amsterdam UMC (Location AMC), University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick L. Willems
- Department of Ethics, Law and Humanities, Amsterdam UMC (Location AMC), University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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11
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Framing utility: Regulatory reform and genetic tests in the USA, 1989-2000. Soc Sci Med 2022; 304:112924. [PMID: 32245545 PMCID: PMC9218800 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Before about 1990, insofar as diagnostic and other medical tests were subject to regulatory oversight, it was chiefly to ensure that they met appropriate standards of analytic and clinical validity. Over the course of the 1990s, however, regulatory reformers in the United States began to argue that genetic tests, specifically, should also be assessed to determine whether or not they actually benefit those undergoing testing-whether they possess "clinical utility", as they put it. The present paper asks why this shift in regulatory focus occurred specifically in relation to genetic tests, and why clinical utility became a key object of assessment. It answers these questions by situating concerns about genetic tests in the longer history of medical genetics. Looking back to the 1970s and medical geneticists' efforts to distance themselves from their earlier association with eugenics, it shows that they adopted a particular framing of the dangers of genetic testing which would inform their response to the proliferation of new genetic tests and the growth of commercial testing in the 1990s. In a series of policy committees convened over the course of that decade, medical geneticists called for regulatory measures to be implemented to ensure that genetic tests were only introduced into medical practice if they had been shown to be beneficial to those tested. The paper follows the deliberations of those committees to show in detail how geneticists worked within this framing to accommodate new technical capacities and regulatory opportunities. In the course of these deliberations, they adopted the idea of clinical utility to signify the need for evidence of benefit specifically to those tested. The paper concludes with some observations regarding how this framing of genetic tests relates to current understandings of "genetic exceptionalism" and to more recent articulations of clinical utility.
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Pfeffer G, Lee G, Pontifex CS, Fanganiello RD, Peck A, Weihl CC, Kimonis V. Multisystem Proteinopathy Due to VCP Mutations: A Review of Clinical Heterogeneity and Genetic Diagnosis. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13060963. [PMID: 35741724 PMCID: PMC9222868 DOI: 10.3390/genes13060963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, we review clinical features and genetic diagnosis of diseases caused by mutations in the gene encoding valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97), the functionally diverse AAA-ATPase. VCP is crucial to a multitude of cellular functions including protein quality control, stress granule formation and clearance, and genomic integrity functions, among others. Pathogenic mutations in VCP cause multisystem proteinopathy (VCP-MSP), an autosomal dominant, adult-onset disorder causing dysfunction in several tissue types. It can result in complex neurodegenerative conditions including inclusion body myopathy, frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or combinations of these. There is also an association with other neurodegenerative phenotypes such as Alzheimer-type dementia and Parkinsonism. Non-neurological presentations include Paget disease of bone and may also include cardiac dysfunction. We provide a detailed discussion of genotype-phenotype correlations, recommendations for genetic diagnosis, and genetic counselling implications of VCP-MSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Pfeffer
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
- Alberta Child Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Grace Lee
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (G.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Carly S. Pontifex
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
| | - Roberto D. Fanganiello
- Oral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
| | - Allison Peck
- Cure VCP Disease, Inc., Americus, GA 31709, USA;
| | - Conrad C. Weihl
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - Virginia Kimonis
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (G.L.); (V.K.)
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13
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Cohen S, Zultan R. Genomic privacy, identity and dignity. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2022; 48:317-322. [PMID: 33910975 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Significant advancements towards a future of big data genomic medicine, associated with large-scale public dataset repositories, intensify dilemmas of genomic privacy. To resolve dilemmas adequately, we need to understand the relative force of the competing considerations that make them up. Attitudes towards genomic privacy are complex and not well understood; understanding is further complicated by the vague claim of 'genetic exceptionalism'. In this paper, we distinguish between consequentialist and non-consequentialist privacy interests: while the former are concerned with harms secondary to exposure, the latter represent the interest in a private sphere for its own sake, as an essential component of human dignity. Empirical studies of attitudes towards genomic privacy have almost never targeted specifically this important dignitary component of the privacy interest. In this paper we first articulate the question of a non-consequentialist genomic privacy interest, and then present results of an empirical study that probed people's attitudes towards that interest. This was done via comparison to other non-consequentialist privacy interests, which are more tangible and can be more easily assessed. Our results indicate that the non-consequentialist genomic privacy interest is rather weak. This insight can assist in adjudicating dilemmas involving genomic privacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomo Cohen
- Department of Philosophy, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Ro'i Zultan
- Department of Economics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
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14
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Elgabsi N. The 'ethic of knowledge' and responsible science: Responses to genetically motivated racism. SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE 2022; 52:303-323. [PMID: 34961426 PMCID: PMC8978473 DOI: 10.1177/03063127211063887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study takes off from the ethical problem that racism grounded in population genetics raises. It is an analysis of four standard scientific responses to the problem of genetically motivated racism, seen in connection with the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP): (1) Discriminatory uses of scientific facts and arguments are in principle 'misuses' of scientific data that the researcher cannot be further responsible for. (2) In a strict scientific sense, genomic facts 'disclaim racism', which means that an epistemically correct grasp of genomics should be ethically justified. (3) Ethical difficulties are issues to be 'resolved' by an ethics institution or committee, which will guarantee the ethical quality of the research scrutinized. (4) Although population genetics occasionally may lead to racism, its overall 'value' for humankind justifies its cause as a desirable pursuit. I argue that these typical responses to genetically motivated racism supervene on a principle called the 'ethic of knowledge', which implies that an epistemically correct account has intrinsic ethical value. This principle, and its logically related ideas concerning the ethic of science, effectively avoids a deeper ethical question of responsibility in science from being raised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natan Elgabsi
- Natan Elgabsi, Department of
Culture, History and Philosophy, Åbo Akademi University, Fabriksgatan
2, 20500 Åbo, Finland.
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15
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Saya S, McIntosh JG, Winship IM, Milton S, Clendenning M, Kyriakides M, Oberoi J, Buchanan DD, Jenkins MA, Emery JD. Informed choice and attitudes regarding a genomic test to predict risk of colorectal cancer in general practice. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2022; 105:987-995. [PMID: 34400040 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A genomic test to predict personal risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) that targets screening and could be feasibly implemented in primary care. We explored informed decision-making and attitudes towards genomic testing in this setting. METHODS A CRC genomic test was offered to 150 general practice patients with brief discussion of its implications. We measured informed choice about the test, consisting knowledge, attitudes and test uptake. Sixteen purposively-sampled participants were interviewed. RESULTS Of 150, 142 (95%) completed the informed choice measure and of 27 invited, 16 (59%) completed an interview. 73% made an informed choice about the test. Interviews revealed that participants with inadequate knowledge on the informed choice scale still understood the gist of the test. While positive attitudes were most prevalent, some had concerns, and many were indifferent to the test. Positive attitudes included: that risk information could facilitate risk reduction; negative attitudes included: that risk results could cause worry and be used for insurance discrimination; indifferent attitudes included: that the test seemed benign and it was easy to do. CONCLUSIONS Our study adds to the evidence that genomic tests for CRC risk do not pose significant concern to patients in community settings. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS As genomic tests become more prevalent, this study's findings can be used to facilitate informed decision-making and ensure equitable access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibel Saya
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Jennifer G McIntosh
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Ingrid M Winship
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Genomic Medicine & Family Cancer Clinic, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Shakira Milton
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Mark Clendenning
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Mary Kyriakides
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Jasmeen Oberoi
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Daniel D Buchanan
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Mark A Jenkins
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Jon D Emery
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; The Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Alex K, Winkler EC. Is Dupras and Bunnik's Framework for Assessing Privacy Risks in Multi-Omic Research and Databases Still Too Exceptionalist? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:80-82. [PMID: 34806966 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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17
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Dupras C, Bunnik EM. Toward a Framework for Assessing Privacy Risks in Multi-Omic Research and Databases. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:46-64. [PMID: 33433298 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2020.1863516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
While the accumulation and increased circulation of genomic data have captured much attention over the past decade, privacy risks raised by the diversification and integration of omics have been largely overlooked. In this paper, we propose the outline of a framework for assessing privacy risks in multi-omic research and databases. Following a comparison of privacy risks associated with genomic and epigenomic data, we dissect ten privacy risk-impacting omic data properties that affect either the risk of re-identification of research participants, or the sensitivity of the information potentially conveyed by biological data. We then propose a three-step approach for the assessment of privacy risks in the multi-omic era. Thus, we lay grounds for a data property-based, 'pan-omic' approach that moves away from genetic exceptionalism. We conclude by inviting our peers to refine these theoretical foundations, put them to the test in their respective fields, and translate our approach into practical guidance.
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18
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Eichinger J, Elger BS, Koné I, Filges I, Shaw D, Zimmermann B, McLennan S. The full spectrum of ethical issues in pediatric genome-wide sequencing: a systematic qualitative review. BMC Pediatr 2021; 21:387. [PMID: 34488686 PMCID: PMC8420043 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02830-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The use of genome-wide sequencing in pediatric medicine and research is growing exponentially. While this has many potential benefits, the normative and empirical literature has highlighted various ethical issues. There have not been, however, any systematic reviews of these issues. The aim of this systematic review is to determine systematically the spectrum of ethical issues that is raised for stakeholders in in pediatric genome-wide sequencing. Methods A systematic review in PubMed and Google Books (publications in English or German between 2004 and 2021) was conducted. Further references were identified via reference screening. Data were analyzed and synthesized using qualitative content analysis. Ethical issues were defined as arising when a relevant normative principle is not adequately considered or when two principles come into conflict. Results Our literature search retrieved 3175 publications of which 143 were included in the analysis. Together these mentioned 106 ethical issues in pediatric genome-wide sequencing, categorized into five themes along the pediatric genome-wide sequencing lifecycle. Most ethical issues identified in relation to genome-wide sequencing typically reflect ethical issues that arise in general genetic testing, but they are often amplified by the increased quantity of data obtained, and associated uncertainties. The most frequently discussed ethical aspects concern the issue of unsolicited findings. Conclusion Concentration of the debate on unsolicited findings risks overlooking other ethical challenges. An overarching difficulty presents the terminological confusion: both with regard to both the test procedure/ the scope of analysis, as well as with the topic of unsolicited findings. It is important that the genetics and ethics communities together with other medical professions involved work jointly on specific case related guidelines to grant the maximum benefit for the care of the children, while preventing patient harm and disproportionate overload of clinicians and the healthcare system by the wealth of available options and economic incentives to increase testing. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-021-02830-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Eichinger
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland. .,Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Bernice S Elger
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.,Center for legal medicine (CURML), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Insa Koné
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Filges
- Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Shaw
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.,Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Bettina Zimmermann
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.,Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stuart McLennan
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.,Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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19
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Sapp JC, Facio FM, Cooper D, Lewis KL, Modlin E, van der Wees P, Biesecker LG. A systematic literature review of disclosure practices and reported outcomes for medically actionable genomic secondary findings. Genet Med 2021; 23:2260-2269. [PMID: 34433902 PMCID: PMC9017985 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-021-01295-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Secondary findings (SF) are present in 1–4% of individuals undergoing genome/exome sequencing. A review of how SF are disclosed and what outcomes result from their receipt is urgent and timely. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of SF disclosure practices and outcomes after receipt including cascade testing, family and provider communication, and healthcare actions. Of the 1,184 non-duplicate records screened we summarize findings from 27 included research articles describing SF disclosure practices, outcomes after receipt, or both. Results: The included articles reported 709 unique SF index recipients/families. Referrals and/or recommendations were provided 647 SF recipients and outcome data were available for 236. At least one recommended evaluation was reported for 146 SF recipients; 16 reports of treatment or prophylactic surgery were identified. We found substantial variations in how the constructs of interest were defined and described. Conclusion: Variation in how SF disclosure and outcomes were described limited our ability to compare findings. We conclude the literature provided limited insight into how the ACMG guidelines have been translated into precision health outcomes for SF recipients. Robust studies of SF recipients are needed and should be prioritized for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie C Sapp
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. .,Translational Health Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Flavia M Facio
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diane Cooper
- National Institutes of Health Library, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katie L Lewis
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emily Modlin
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Philip van der Wees
- Translational Health Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.,Radboud University Medical Center, IQ Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Leslie G Biesecker
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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20
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Mozersky J, Meyer MN, Rahm AK, O'Dell SM, Buchanan A. Balancing External Validity and Concern for Psychosocial Harms in Translational Genetic Research. Ethics Hum Res 2021; 43:43-48. [PMID: 33683017 DOI: 10.1002/eahr.500086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mozersky
- Assistant professor in the Bioethics Research Center and a Faculty Scholar in the Institute of Public Health at Washington University School of Medicine
| | - Michelle N Meyer
- Assistant professor and associate director of research ethics at the Center for Translational Bioethics & Health Care Policy, a faculty codirector of the Behavioral Insights Team at the Steele Institute for Healthcare Innovation, and an assistant professor of bioethics at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
| | | | - Sean M O'Dell
- Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and an assistant professor of clinical research in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Geisinger
| | - Adam Buchanan
- Associate professor and the director of the Genomic Medicine Institute at Geisinger
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21
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Zuk P, Sanchez CE, Kostick K, Torgerson L, Muñoz KA, Hsu R, Kalwani L, Sierra-Mercado D, Robinson JO, Outram S, Koenig BA, Pereira S, McGuire AL, Lázaro-Muñoz G. Researcher Perspectives on Data Sharing in Deep Brain Stimulation. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:578687. [PMID: 33424563 PMCID: PMC7793701 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.578687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The expansion of research on deep brain stimulation (DBS) and adaptive DBS (aDBS) raises important neuroethics and policy questions related to data sharing. However, there has been little empirical research on the perspectives of experts developing these technologies. We conducted semi-structured, open-ended interviews with aDBS researchers regarding their data sharing practices and their perspectives on ethical and policy issues related to sharing. Researchers expressed support for and a commitment to sharing, with most saying that they were either sharing their data or would share in the future and that doing so was important for advancing the field. However, those who are sharing reported a variety of sharing partners, suggesting heterogeneity in sharing practices and lack of the broad sharing that would reflect principles of open science. Researchers described several concerns and barriers related to sharing, including privacy and confidentiality, the usability of shared data by others, ownership and control of data (including potential commercialization), and limited resources for sharing. They also suggested potential solutions to these challenges, including additional safeguards to address privacy issues, standardization and transparency in analysis to address issues of data usability, professional norms and heightened cooperation to address issues of ownership and control, and streamlining of data transmission to address resource limitations. Researchers also offered a range of views on the sensitivity of neural activity data (NAD) and data related to mental health in the context of sharing. These findings are an important input to deliberations by researchers, policymakers, neuroethicists, and other stakeholders as they navigate ethics and policy questions related to aDBS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Zuk
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Clarissa E Sanchez
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Kristin Kostick
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Laura Torgerson
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Katrina A Muñoz
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Rebecca Hsu
- Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lavina Kalwani
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Demetrio Sierra-Mercado
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Jill O Robinson
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Simon Outram
- Program in Bioethics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Barbara A Koenig
- Program in Bioethics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Stacey Pereira
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Amy L McGuire
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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22
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Kanungo S, Barr J, Crutchfield P, Fealko C, Soares N. Ethical Considerations on Pediatric Genetic Testing Results in Electronic Health Records. Appl Clin Inform 2020; 11:755-763. [PMID: 33176390 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advances in technology and access to expanded genetic testing have resulted in more children and adolescents receiving genetic testing for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. With increased adoption of the electronic health record (EHR), genetic testing is increasingly resulted in the EHR. However, this leads to challenges in both storage and disclosure of genetic results, particularly when parental results are combined with child genetic results. PRIVACY AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Accidental disclosure and erroneous documentation of genetic results can occur due to the nature of their presentation in the EHR and documentation processes by clinicians. Genetic information is both sensitive and identifying, and requires a considered approach to both timing and extent of disclosure to families and access to clinicians. METHODS This article uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore ethical issues surrounding privacy, confidentiality of genetic data, and access to genetic results by health care providers and family members, and provides suggestions in a stakeholder format for best practices on this topic for clinicians and informaticians. Suggestions are made for clinicians on documenting and accessing genetic information in the EHR, and on collaborating with genetics specialists and disclosure of genetic results to families. Additional considerations for families including ethics around results of adolescents and special scenarios for blended families and foster minors are also provided. Finally, administrators and informaticians are provided best practices on both institutional processes and EHR architecture, including security and access control, with emphasis on the minimum necessary paradigm and parent/patient engagement and control of the use and disclosure of data. CONCLUSION The authors hope that these best practices energize specialty societies to craft practice guidelines on genetic information management in the EHR with interdisciplinary input that addresses all stakeholder needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibani Kanungo
- Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
| | - Jayne Barr
- Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, MetroHealth, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Parker Crutchfield
- Medical Ethics, Humanities, and Law, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
| | - Casey Fealko
- Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
| | - Neelkamal Soares
- Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
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23
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Lynch JA, Goldenberg AJ, Garrison NA, Brothers KB. Analogies in Genomics Policymaking: Debates and Drawbacks. Am J Hum Genet 2020; 107:797-801. [PMID: 33157006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The analogy between genomics and imaging has been an important touchstone in the debate on how secondary findings should be handled in both clinical and research genomics contexts. However, a critical eye is needed to understand whether an analogy like this one provides an adequate basis for policymaking in genomics. Genomics and imaging are undoubtedly similar in certain ways, but whether that similarity is adequate to justify adopting identical policies is a task that requires further analysis. This is highlighted by the fact that secondary findings are produced in other domains of medicine and public health, such as newborn screening programs, routine laboratory panels, and antibiotic sensitivity testing, and that the practices for handling secondary findings in each of these areas are different. These examples demonstrate that medicine has no single comprehensive policy or set of practices for managing secondary findings. Analogies to imaging, newborn screening, routine testing panels, and antibiotic sensitivity testing all lead to different policy options for genomics. In this piece we argue that analogies are a powerful way of driving policy discussions by rendering two different areas of medical practice similar, but an overdependence on a single analogy risks limiting policy discussions in potentially deleterious ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Lynch
- Department of Communication, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
| | - Aaron J Goldenberg
- Department of Bioethics & Medical Humanities, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Nanibaa' A Garrison
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kyle B Brothers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy and Law, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
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24
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Kasperbauer TJ, Schwartz PH. Genetic Data Aren't So Special: Causes and Implications of Reidentification. Hastings Cent Rep 2020; 50:30-39. [PMID: 33095483 DOI: 10.1002/hast.1183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Genetic information is widely thought to pose unique risks of reidentifying individuals. Genetic data reveals a great deal about who we are and, the standard view holds, should consequently be treated differently from other types of data. Contrary to this view, we argue that the dangers of reidentification for genetic and nongenetic data-including health, financial, and consumer information-are more similar than has been recognized. Before different requirements are imposed around sharing genetic information, proponents of the standard view must show that they are in fact necessary. We further argue that the similarities between genetic and nongenetic information have important implications for communicating risks during consent for health care and research. While patients and research participants need to be more aware of pervasive data-sharing practices, consent forms are the wrong place to provide this education. Instead, health systems should engage with patients throughout patient care to educate them about data-sharing practices.
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25
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Stewart DR, Frone MN, Chanock SJ. Stomaching Multigene Panel Testing: What to Do About CDH1? J Natl Cancer Inst 2020; 112:325-326. [PMID: 31841165 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djz230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Stewart
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD
| | - Megan N Frone
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD
| | - Stephen J Chanock
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD
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26
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Woodbury RB, Beans JA, Wark KA, Spicer P, Hiratsuka VY. Community Perspectives on Communicating About Precision Medicine in an Alaska Native Tribal Health Care System. FRONTIERS IN COMMUNICATION 2020; 5:70. [PMID: 33511166 PMCID: PMC7839995 DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2020.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precision medicine seeks to better tailor medical care to the needs of individual patients, but there are challenges involved in communicating to patients, health care providers, and health system leaders about this novel and complex approach to research and clinical care. These challenges may be exacerbated for Alaska Native and American Indian (ANAI) people, whose experiences of unethical research practices have left some ANAI communities hesitant to engage in research that involves extensive data-sharing and diminished control over the terms of data management and who may have distinct, culturally-informed communication needs and preferences. There is need for communication research to support Tribal health organizations and ANAI people as they consider implementation of and participation in precision medicine. To address that need, this study characterizes the informational needs and communication preferences of patients, providers, and leaders at an Alaska Native Tribal health organization. METHODS We conducted 46 individual, semi-structured interviews to explore perspectives on precision medicine and related communication needs among patients, providers, and leaders of a Tribal health organization. Analysis involved team-based coding to identify a priori and emergent themes, followed by identification and recoding of content relevant to precision medicine informational needs and communication preferences. RESULTS Patients, providers, and leaders were described as both sources and recipients of information about precision medicine. Information deemed essential for making decisions about whether to participate in or implement a precision medicine program included information about the clinical and research applications of precision medicine, benefits and risks, health system costs and impacts, and data management practices. Preferred communication channels included digital and non-digital informational materials, as well as in-person learning opportunities for individuals and groups. Participants also describe contextual factors and barriers that influenced the acceptability and effectiveness of approaches to health communication. CONCLUSION Results can inform approaches to communicating information about precision medicine to stakeholders within Tribal and other health care systems considering implementation of precision medicine in clinical or research contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Brian Woodbury
- Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, AK, United States
- Correspondence: R. Brian Woodbury,
| | | | - Kyle A. Wark
- Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, AK, United States
| | - Paul Spicer
- University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
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27
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Katz AE, Nussbaum RL, Solomon BD, Rehm HL, Williams MS, Biesecker LG. Management of Secondary Genomic Findings. Am J Hum Genet 2020; 107:3-14. [PMID: 32619490 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary genomic findings are increasingly being returned to individuals as opportunistic screening results. A secondary finding offers the chance to identify and mitigate disease that may otherwise be unrecognized in an individual. As a form of screening, secondary findings must be considered differently from sequencing results in a diagnostic setting. For these reasons, clinicians should employ an evaluation and long-term management strategy that accounts for both the increased disease risk associated with a secondary finding and the lower positive predictive value of a screening result compared to an indication-based testing result. Here we describe an approach to the clinical evaluation and management of an individual who presents with a secondary finding. This approach enumerates five domains of evaluation-(1) medical history, (2) physical exam, (3) family history, (4) diagnostic phenotypic testing, and (5) variant correlation-through which a clinician can distinguish a molecular finding from a clinicomolecular diagnosis of genomic disease. With this framework, both geneticists and non-geneticist clinicians can optimize their ability to detect and mitigate genomic disease while avoiding the pitfalls of overdiagnosis. Our goal with this approach is to help clinicians translate secondary findings into meaningful recognition, treatment, and prevention of disease.
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28
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Abstract
The NIH-funded Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative has led to significant advances in what we know about the functions and capacities of the brain. This multifaceted and expansive effort supports a range of experimentation from cells to circuits, and its outputs promise to ease suffering from various neurological injuries, diseases, and neuropsychiatric conditions. At the midway point of the 10-year BRAIN Initiative, we pause to consider how these studies, and neuroscience research more broadly, may bear on human characteristics and moral concepts such as identity, agency, and others. This midway point also offers us an opportunity to evaluate the sociology and impacts of BRAIN Initiative-funded investigations to ensure that ethical standards of fairness and justice pervade the scientific process itself. Neuroethics inquiry provides a mechanism to invite relevant, novel expertise from the wide array of disciplines that intersect with biomedicine in neuroscience research. As the BRAIN Initiative and the broader field of neuroscience proceed, neuroethics serves as a central component of neuroscience inquiry to i) foster necessary and beneficial collaborations for responsible discovery; ii) ensure a rigorous, reproducible, and representative neuroscience research process; and iii) explore the unique nature of study of the human brain through accurate and representative models of its function and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Khara M Ramos
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke NIH
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29
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Horton R, Fenwick A, Lucassen AM. Old consent and new developments: health professionals should ask and not presume. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2020; 46:412-413. [PMID: 31662484 PMCID: PMC7610401 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2019-105868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Horton
- Clinical Ethics and Law group (CELS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Angela Fenwick
- Clinical Ethics and Law group (CELS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Anneke M Lucassen
- Clinical Ethics and Law group (CELS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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30
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Kimberly RP. Translational Research-For the Individual and the Community. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2019; 30:79-85. [PMID: 31735721 DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2019.0118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The potential for translational research to improve human health is unprecedented, as the integration of genetic health risks with other data influencing health provides substantial opportunities for improvement. However, how integrating these data sources in a fair, unbiased and appropriate way without reinforcing pre-existing assumptions requires thoughtful implementation. Furthermore, integration of new technologies requires assessment of needs and benefits for the individual balanced with community needs and goals. Thus, examination of values, goals and implicit assumptions through transparent, authentic engagement of individuals and communities is essential.
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31
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Rethinking the ethical principles of genomic medicine services. Eur J Hum Genet 2019; 28:147-154. [PMID: 31534213 PMCID: PMC6974588 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-019-0507-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical genome and exome sequencing is currently used in only a small fraction of patients, yet large scale genomic initiatives are becoming more embedded in clinical services. This paper examines the ethical principles that should guide regulatory processes regarding consent and data sharing in this context. We argue that a genomic dataset administered by the health system carries substantial societal benefits, and that the collective nature of this initiative means that at least those patients who benefit from genome sequencing have an ethical obligation to share their health information. This obligation is grounded in considerations of fairness. Furthermore, we argue that the use of genomic data for the advancement of medical knowledge should be permitted without explicit consent and that international and other bodies should be granted access to these data, provided certain conditions are satisfied.
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Advancing Research and Privacy: Achievements, Challenges, and Core Principles. Am J Hum Genet 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Parens E, Appelbaum PS. On What We Have Learned and Still Need to Learn about the Psychosocial Impacts of Genetic Testing. Hastings Cent Rep 2019; 49 Suppl 1:S2-S9. [PMID: 31268574 PMCID: PMC6640636 DOI: 10.1002/hast.1011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Since the start of the program to investigate the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of the Human Genome Project in 1990, many ELSI scholars have maintained that genetic testing should be used with caution because of the potential for negative psychosocial effects associated with receiving genetic information. More recently, though, some ELSI scholars have produced evidence suggesting that the original ELSI concerns were unfounded, exaggerated, or, at a minimum, misdirected. At least in the contexts that have been most studied, large negative impacts have not been found in the vast majority of people studied. What might explain the discrepancy between the original hypothesized outcomes and the growing impression that large negative effects appear to be few and far between? And if the original predictions of large negative psychosocial effects were simply wrong, is it time for ELSI researchers to move on? Should genetic testing be routinized, and would it be appropriate to relax or abandon the practice of engaging patients in a process of detailed informed consent before they receive genetic information? To confront those questions, we convened a conference entitled "Looking for the Psychosocial Impacts of Genomic Information" to review what is known about the negative impacts of genetic information on a variety of populations and in multiple medical and social contexts, to explore the implications of the findings, and to consider whether future research might benefit from different methods than have been used to date.
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Sabatello M, Juengst E. Genomic Essentialism: Its Provenance and Trajectory as an Anticipatory Ethical Concern. Hastings Cent Rep 2019; 49 Suppl 1:S10-S18. [PMID: 31268572 PMCID: PMC6740238 DOI: 10.1002/hast.1012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Since the inception of large-scale human genome research, there has been much caution about the risks of exacerbating a number of socially dangerous attitudes linked to human genetics. These attitudes are usually labeled with one of a family of genetic or genomic "isms" or "ations" such as "genetic essentialism," "genetic determinism," "genetic reductionism," "geneticization," "genetic stigmatization," and "genetic discrimination." The psychosocial processes these terms refer to are taken to exacerbate several ills that are similarly labeled, from medical racism and psychological fatalism to economic exploitation and social exclusion. But as genomic information becomes more familiar in clinical and research settings as well as other life activities, do we need to continue to worry so much about this family of attitudes and their impact on existing problems? In genomics, the underlying anxiety has been that disclosure of genomic information will trigger a series of (seemingly unavoidable) negative responses that will affect individuals, their families, and their communities at large. The fundamental social challenges that hyperbolic genomic messaging, low genomic literacy, and "folk biology" help sustain remain to be addressed. If we hope to break the cycle of genomic isms and ations, we will have to get better at resisting overinterpretations of the relevance that genomics has for people's future potentials, ancestral vulnerabilities, community memberships, and ethnic affiliations.
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Johnson LM, Zabrowski J, Wilfond BS. Should Research Participants Be Notified About Results of Currently Unknown but Potential Significance? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:73-74. [PMID: 30994427 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2019.1572831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
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Boyce A. Genomic Contextualism, Genetic Determinism, and Causal Models. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:73-75. [PMID: 31307360 PMCID: PMC6512811 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1544317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Angie Boyce
- a Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics
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Condit CM. How Can We Integrate Interests and Reasoned Arguments in Bioethics? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:64-65. [PMID: 31307365 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1544322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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Murray TH. Is Genetic Exceptionalism Past Its Sell-By Date? On Genomic Diaries, Context, and Content. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:13-15. [PMID: 30676900 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1552038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
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Botkin JR. Genetic Contextualism and the Value of a Structured Process. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:72-73. [PMID: 31307354 PMCID: PMC6768547 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1546351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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Garrett JR. It's the Idiom, Stupid: A Plea for Formal Rhetorical Analysis in Bioethics. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:67-69. [PMID: 31307356 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1546350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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Horton R, Lucassen A, Fenwick A. Unpacking the Concept of a Genomic Result. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:70-71. [PMID: 31307358 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1544316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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Laberge AM, Richer J, Ravitsky V. Toward Broader Genetic Contextualism: Genetic Testing Enters the Age of Evidence-Based Medicine. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:77-79. [PMID: 31307361 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1544315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Laberge
- a Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal
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Pereira S. "DNA Is Information, and Genetics Is Information Technology": Reconsidering the Genetic Code. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:75-76. [PMID: 31307366 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1544321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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