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Bene Watts S, Gauthier B, Erickson AC, Morrison J, Sebastian M, Gillman L, McIntosh S, Ens C, Sherwin E, McCormick R, Sanatani S, Arbour L. A mild phenotype associated with KCNQ1 p.V205M mediated long QT syndrome in First Nations children of Northern British Columbia: effect of additional variants and considerations for management. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1394105. [PMID: 38884101 PMCID: PMC11176454 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1394105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Congenital Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is common in a First Nations community in Northern British Columbia due to the founder variant KCNQ1 p.V205M. Although well characterized molecularly and clinically in adults, no data have been previously reported on the pediatric population. The phenotype in adults has been shown to be modified by a splice site variant in KCNQ1 (p.L353L). The CPT1A p.P479L metabolic variant, also common in Northern Indigenous populations, is associated with hypoglycemia and infant death. Since hypoglycemia can affect the corrected QT interval (QTc) and may confer risk for seizures (also associated with LQTS), we sought to determine the effect of all three variants on the LQTS phenotype in children within our First Nations cohort. Methods As part of a larger study assessing those with LQTS and their relatives in a Northern BC First Nation, we assessed those entering the study from birth to age 18 years. We compared the corrected peak QTc and potential cardiac events (syncope/seizures) of 186 children from birth to 18 years, with and without the KCNQ1 (p.V205M and p.L353L) and CPT1A variants, alone and in combination. Linear and logistic regression and student t-tests were applied as appropriate. Results Only the KCNQ1 p.V205M variant conferred a significant increase in peak QTc 23.8 ms (p < 0.001) above baseline, with females increased by 30.1 ms (p < 0.001) and males by 18.9 ms (p < 0.01). There was no evidence of interaction effects with the other two variants studied. Although the p.V205M variant was not significantly associated with syncope/seizures, the odds of having a seizure/syncope were significantly increased for those homozygous for CPT1A p.P479L compared to homozygous wild type (Odds Ratio [OR]3.0 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-7.7]; p = 0.019). Conclusion While the KCNQ1 p.V205M variant prolongs the peak QTc, especially in females, the CPT1A p.P479L variant is more strongly associated with loss of consciousness events. These findings suggest that effect of the KCNQ1 p.V205M variant is mild in this cohort, which may have implications for standard management. Our findings also suggest the CPT1A p.P479L variant is a risk factor for seizures and possibly syncope, which may mimic a long QT phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Bene Watts
- Island Medical Program, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Barbara Gauthier
- Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Interior Health Authority, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Lawrence Gillman
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah McIntosh
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Connie Ens
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Sherwin
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Rod McCormick
- Department of Education and Social Work, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
| | - Shubhayan Sanatani
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Laura Arbour
- Island Medical Program, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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Tamburrini C, Dahinten SL, Saihueque RRR, Ávila-Arcos MC, Parolin ML. Towards an ethical and legal framework in archeogenomics: A local case in the Atlantic coast of central Patagonia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:161-176. [PMID: 37525572 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24821] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Ethical discussions around ancient DNA (aDNA) research predate the technological breakthroughs that led to the accelerated generation of ancient genomic data, revealing a long-due need to address these aspects in the field. Given the diverse conflicts that genomics has raised towards the communities associated with the Non-living Human Ancestors under study, it has been suggested that the ethical and legal implications of genetically studying present-day and ancient human populations should be considered case-by-case. Nevertheless, the discussions have focused on US and European perspectives. To contribute from a local and Latin American position to the problem, we present the history of consensus and disagreement of the relationships between scientists and Indigenous communities of the Atlantic coast of the central Argentinian Patagonia. We describe how these relationships resulted in the approval of a groundbreaking provincial law that acknowledges the Indigenous community's right to be involved in decision-making concerning their Ancestors. In addition, we emphasize how these established relationships allowed the development of aDNA studies. With this background, we address the main ethical concerns of genomic studies of Ancestors identified in the reference literature and commit to applying some of the recommendations suggested in those ethical guidelines. Then, we reflect on possible negative consequences of ongoing research and propose some suggestions based on personal experiences that will contribute to moving the ethical field towards a more contextualized science with a local perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Tamburrini
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus, CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Silvia Lucrecia Dahinten
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus, CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Rubén Ricardo Romero Saihueque
- Dirección de Asuntos Indígenas, Subsecretaría de Derechos Humanos, Ministerio de Gobierno y Justicia del Chubut, Rawson, Chubut, Argentina
| | - María C Ávila-Arcos
- International Laboratory for Human Genome Research, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - María Laura Parolin
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus, CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
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Gwynne K, Jiang S, Venema R, Christie V, Boughtwood T, Ritha M, Skinner J, Ali N, Rambaldini B, Calma T. Genomics and inclusion of Indigenous peoples in high income countries. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1407-1416. [PMID: 37479894 PMCID: PMC10449672 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02587-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Genomics research related to Indigenous people has been at worst exploitative and at best, retrospectively on a journey to improve effective engagement of Indigenous individuals and communities. Genomics can positively impact all stages of clinical management, and to improve genomic effectiveness researchers aggregate genomic data from diverse global sub-populations, such as shared ancestry groupings, as people within these groupings will have a greater proportion of shared DNA traits. While genomics is already being used worldwide to improve lives, its utility and effectiveness has not been maximized for individuals with Indigenous ancestry. Several large datasets of human genetic variation have been made publicly available, of which the most widely used is the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD), but none of these databases currently contain any population-specific data for Indigenous populations. There are many reasons why Indigenous people have been largely left out of genomics research and, because of this, miss out on the benefits offered. It is also clear that if research is to be effective, it needs to be done 'with' and not 'on' Indigenous communities. This systematic review of the literature regarding Indigenous peoples (in high income countries) and genomics aims to review the existing literature and identify areas of strength and weakness in study design and conduct, focusing on the effectiveness of Indigenous community engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie Gwynne
- Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research (Formerly Known as Poche Centre for Indigenous Health), Macquarie University, Walanga Muru Building, 6 First Walk, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Shirley Jiang
- University of Toronto, 27 King's College Circuit, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robertson Venema
- University of Toronto, 27 King's College Circuit, Toronto, Canada
| | - Vita Christie
- Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research (Formerly Known as Poche Centre for Indigenous Health), Macquarie University, Walanga Muru Building, 6 First Walk, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia.
| | - Tiffany Boughtwood
- Australian Genomics, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Marida Ritha
- Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research (Formerly Known as Poche Centre for Indigenous Health), Macquarie University, Walanga Muru Building, 6 First Walk, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - John Skinner
- Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research (Formerly Known as Poche Centre for Indigenous Health), Macquarie University, Walanga Muru Building, 6 First Walk, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Nyesa Ali
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Boe Rambaldini
- Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research (Formerly Known as Poche Centre for Indigenous Health), Macquarie University, Walanga Muru Building, 6 First Walk, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Tom Calma
- Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research (Formerly Known as Poche Centre for Indigenous Health), Macquarie University, Walanga Muru Building, 6 First Walk, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia
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Mariko H, Uban KA. The implications of socioeconomic factors on salivary bioscience methodological variables in a large pediatric multi-site study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1088043. [PMID: 37427258 PMCID: PMC10327643 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1088043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Salivary bioscience has found increased utilization within pediatric research, given the non-invasive nature of self-collecting saliva for measuring biological markers. With this growth in pediatric utility, more understanding is needed of how social-contextual factors, such as socioeconomic factors or status (SES), influence salivary bioscience in large multi-site studies. Socioeconomic factors have been shown to influence non-salivary analyte levels across childhood and adolescent development. However, less is understood about relationships between these socioeconomic factors and salivary collection methodological variables (e.g., time of saliva collection from waking, time of day of saliva collection, physical activity prior to saliva collection, and caffeine intake prior to saliva collection). Variability in salivary methodological variables between participants may impact the levels of analytes measured in a salivary sample, thus serving as a potential mechanism for non-random systematic biases in analytes. Methods Our objective is to examine relationships between socioeconomic factors and salivary bioscience methodological variables within the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study© cohort of children aged 9-10 years old (n = 10,567 participants with saliva samples). Results We observed significant associations between household socioeconomic factors (poverty status, education) and salivary collection methodological variables (time since waking, time of day of sampling, physical activity, and caffeine intake). Moreover, lower levels of household poverty and education were significantly associated with more sources of potential bias in salivary collection methodological variables (e.g., longer times since waking, collections later in the day, higher odds of caffeine consumption, and lower odds of physical activity). Consistent associations were not observed with neighborhood socioeconomic factors and salivary methodological variables. Discussion Previous literature demonstrates associations between collection methodological variables and measurements of salivary analyte levels, particularly with analytes that are more sensitive to circadian rhythms, pH levels, or rigorous physical activity. Our novel findings suggest that unintended distortions in measured salivary analyte values, potentially resulting from the non-random systematic biases in salivary methodology, need to be intentionally incorporated into analyses and interpretation of results. This is particularly salient for future studies interested in examining underlying mechanisms of childhood socioeconomic health inequities in future analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hawa Mariko
- Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kristina A. Uban
- Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Caron NR, Adam W, Anderson K, Boswell BT, Chongo M, Deineko V, Dick A, Hall SE, Hatcher JT, Howard P, Hunt M, Linn K, O'Neill A. Partnering with First Nations in Northern British Columbia Canada to Reduce Inequity in Access to Genomic Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105783. [PMID: 37239512 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Indigenous-led, culturally safe health research and infrastructure are essential to address existing inequities and disparities for Indigenous Peoples globally. Biobanking, genomic research, and self-governance could reduce the existing divide and increase Indigenous participation in health research. While genomic research advances medicine, barriers persist for Indigenous patients to benefit. In northern BC, Canada, the Northern Biobank Initiative (NBI), with guidance from a Northern First Nations Biobank Advisory Committee (NFNBAC), has engaged in consultations with First Nations on biobanking and genomic research. Key informant interviews and focus groups conducted with First Nations leaders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members established culturally safe ways of biobanking and exploring genomic research. Strong support for a Northern British Columbia First Nations Biobank (NBCFNB) that will promote choice, inclusion, and access to health research opportunities emerged. The acceptance and enthusiasm for the development of this NBCFNB and its governance table highlight the shift towards Indigenous ownership and support of health research and its benefits. With engagement and partnership, community awareness, multigenerational involvement, and support from diverse and experienced healthcare leaders, the NBCFNB will establish this culturally safe, locally driven, and critically important research priority that may serve as an example for diverse Indigenous groups when designing their unique biobanking or genomic research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine R Caron
- UBC Northern Medical Program and Department of Surgery, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- UBC Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- First Nations Health Authority Chair in Cancer and Wellness at UBC, UBC Health and Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Wilf Adam
- Elder Advisor, Burns Lake, BC V0J 1E0, Canada
| | - Kate Anderson
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Brooke T Boswell
- Community Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Meck Chongo
- University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, Canada
| | - Viktor Deineko
- Northern Biobank at the University Hospital of Northern BC, Northern Health, George, BC V2M 1S2, Canada
| | - Alexanne Dick
- First Nations Health Authority Chair in Cancer and Wellness at UBC, UBC Health and Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Shannon E Hall
- First Nations Biobank, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver Campus, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jessica T Hatcher
- UBC Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Patricia Howard
- First Nations Health Authority, Northern Region, Prince George, BC V2L 5R8, Canada
| | - Megan Hunt
- First Nations Health Authority, Northern Region, Prince George, BC V2L 5R8, Canada
| | - Kevin Linn
- First Nations Health Authority Chair in Cancer and Wellness at UBC, UBC Health and Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ashling O'Neill
- UBC Northern Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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Sauvé SA, Phillips E, Schiefelbein W, Daikoku H, Hegde S, Moore S. Anti-Colonial Strategies in Cross-cultural Music Science Research. MUSIC PERCEPTION 2023; 40:277-292. [PMID: 38798763 PMCID: PMC7615982 DOI: 10.1525/mp.2023.40.4.277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
THIS PAPER PRESENTS A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ethical and methodological issues within cross-cultural music science research, including issues around community based research, participation, and data sovereignty. Although such issues have long been discussed in social science fields including anthropology and ethnomusicology, psychology and music cognition are only beginning to take them into serious consideration. This paper aims to fill that gap in the literature, and draw attention to the necessity of critically considering how implicit cultural biases and pure positivist approaches can mar scientific investigations of music, especially in a cross-cultural context. We focus initially on two previous papers (Jacoby et al., 2020; Savage et al., 2021) before broadening our discussion to critique and provide alternatives to scientific approaches that support assimilation, extractvism, and universalism. We then discuss methodological considerations around cross-cultural research ethics, data ownership, and open science and reproducibility. Throughout our critique, we offer many personal recommendations to cross-cultural music researchers, and suggest a few larger systemic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Sauvé
- University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom & Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Shantala Hegde
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Sylvia Moore
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
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Cortez AD, Lippert D, Davis JL, Nicholas G, Malhi RS, Weyrich LS, Claw KG, Bader AC, Colwell C. Extracting the practices of paleogenomics: A study of ancient DNA labs and research in relation to Native Americans and Indigenous peoples. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36799477 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The field of paleogenomics has rapidly grown, influencing a range of scientific fields and drawing notice from the public. In the United States, this work is especially salient for Native Americans, who are frequently the subject of ancient DNA analyses, but are less frequently included as researchers, collaborators, or advisors. This article seeks to deepen our understanding of the current state of paleogenomics so that the field can center Indigenous peoples and their experiences, knowledges, and stakes in the research process. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with researchers from three paleogenomics labs located in North America and Europe. We used a responsive interviewing technique where the interview resembled a conversation around a set of questions that could change depending upon the interviewee's answers and experiences. We then employed a theme-based analysis of the interviews. RESULTS Through this analysis, we are able to identify practices in the field related to training, the structuring of labs and projects, consent, data control, Ancestor care, and funding that influence various forms of engagement with Indigenous peoples, and which foster or delimit ethical commitments to descendant communities. DISCUSSION This research not only elucidates contemporary practices in paleogenomics labs but also identifies specific areas of potential intervention to help researchers work toward ethical and collaborative paleogenomic research with Indigenous peoples. Using these results, researchers and community advocates can work toward reorienting the field of paleogenomics toward ethical research with Indigenous peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dorothy Lippert
- Repatriation Office, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jenny L Davis
- American Indian Studies, Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - George Nicholas
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Ripan S Malhi
- Department of Anthropology, Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Laura S Weyrich
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Katrina G Claw
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Alyssa C Bader
- Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Carroll SR, Plevel R, Jennings LL, Garba I, Sterling R, Cordova-Marks FM, Hiratsuka V, Hudson M, Garrison NA. Extending the CARE Principles from tribal research policies to benefit sharing in genomic research. Front Genet 2022; 13:1052620. [PMID: 36437947 PMCID: PMC9691892 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1052620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Indigenous Peoples have historically been targets of extractive research that has led to little to no benefit. In genomics, such research not only exposes communities to harms and risks of misuse, but also deprives such communities of potential benefits. Tribes in the US have been exercising their sovereignty to limit this extractive practice by adopting laws and policies to govern research on their territories and with their citizens. Federally and state recognized tribes are in the strongest position to assert research oversight. Other tribes lack the same authority, given that federal and state governments do not recognize their rights to regulate research, resulting in varying levels of oversight by tribes. These governance measures establish collective protections absent from the US federal government's research oversight infrastructure, while setting expectations regarding benefits to tribes as political collectives. Using a legal epidemiology approach, the paper discusses findings from a review of Tribal research legislation, policy, and administrative materials from 26 tribes in the US. The discussion specifies issues viewed by tribes as facilitators and barriers to securing benefits from research for their nations and members/citizens, and describes preemptive and mitigating strategies pursued by tribes in response. These strategies are set within the framing of the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics), a set of standards developed to ensure that decisions made about data pertaining to Indigenous communities at the individual and tribal levels are responsive to their values and collective interests. Our findings illustrate gaps to address for benefit sharing and a need to strengthen Responsibility and Ethics in tribal research governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Russo Carroll
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Rebecca Plevel
- Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Law Library, School of Law, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Lydia L. Jennings
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Ibrahim Garba
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Rogena Sterling
- Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Felina M. Cordova-Marks
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Vanessa Hiratsuka
- Center for Human Development, College of Health, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, United States
| | - Maui Hudson
- Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Nanibaa’ A. Garrison
- Institute for Society and Genetics, College of Letters and Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Balancing openness with Indigenous data sovereignty: An opportunity to leave no one behind in the journey to sequence all of life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2115860119. [PMID: 35042810 PMCID: PMC8795560 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115860119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of genomics has benefited greatly from its “openness” approach to data sharing. However, with the increasing volume of sequence information being created and stored and the growing number of international genomics efforts, the equity of openness is under question. The United Nations Convention of Biodiversity aims to develop and adopt a standard policy on access and benefit-sharing for sequence information across signatory parties. This standardization will have profound implications on genomics research, requiring a new definition of open data sharing. The redefinition of openness is not unwarranted, as its limitations have unintentionally introduced barriers of engagement to some, including Indigenous Peoples. This commentary provides an insight into the key challenges of openness faced by the researchers who aspire to protect and conserve global biodiversity, including Indigenous flora and fauna, and presents immediate, practical solutions that, if implemented, will equip the genomics community with both the diversity and inclusivity required to respectfully protect global biodiversity.
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Ethics of DNA research on human remains: five globally applicable guidelines. Nature 2021; 599:41-46. [PMID: 34671160 PMCID: PMC7612683 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04008-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We are a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, curators and geneticists representing diverse global communities and 31 countries. All of us met in a virtual workshop dedicated to ethics in ancient DNA research held in November 2020. There was widespread agreement that globally applicable ethical guidelines are needed, but that recent recommendations grounded in discussion about research on human remains from North America are not always generalizable worldwide. Here we propose the following globally applicable guidelines, taking into consideration diverse contexts. These hold that: (1) researchers must ensure that all regulations were followed in the places where they work and from which the human remains derived; (2) researchers must prepare a detailed plan prior to beginning any study; (3) researchers must minimize damage to human remains; (4) researchers must ensure that data are made available following publication to allow critical re-examination of scientific findings; and (5) researchers must engage with other stakeholders from the beginning of a study and ensure respect and sensitivity to stakeholder perspectives. We commit to adhering to these guidelines and expect they will promote a high ethical standard in DNA research on human remains going forward.
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Aramoana J, Koea J. An Integrative Review of the Barriers to Indigenous Peoples Participation in Biobanking and Genomic Research. JCO Glob Oncol 2021; 6:83-91. [PMID: 32213083 PMCID: PMC7853871 DOI: 10.1200/jgo.18.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This investigation was undertaken to define the barriers to Indigenous peoples participating in biobanking and genomic research. METHODS A literature review was conducted to identify studies reporting on the experience of Indigenous peoples with biobanking, tissue banking, and genomic research. Studies pertaining to organ transplantation or blood donation for transfusion were excluded. The databases searched were MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with all literature available until the search date of June 1, 2018, included. The reference lists of all included papers, as well as related review articles, were manually searched to identify additional relevant studies. An inductive approach was used to identify common themes. RESULTS Seventeen publications discussed the experiences of New Zealand Māori (n = 2), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (n = 3), Native Hawaiian (n = 4), Native Alaskan (n = 2), American First Nation (n = 2), or multiple ethnicities (n = 4). Across all Indigenous peoples, four themes emerged: land, ancestors, culture, and bodily substances are powerfully interconnected and can act on each other; tissue and blood can provide important information (both Western and traditional) about a person; the ownership of specimens—custodians, trustees, or guardians; and the beneficence of the researchers and research team. CONCLUSION Indigenous communities, like Western populations, are concerned with issues pertaining to handling, treatment, and ownership of tissue as well as knowledge gained from specimen analysis. Unlike many Western populations, Indigenous communities have retained a strong sense of cultural connection to ancestors and traditional lands and view biologic specimens as inseparable from these things.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Koea
- North Shore Hospital, Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
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12
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Caron NR, Boswell BT, Deineko V, Hunt MA. Partnering With Northern British Columbia First Nations in the Spectrum of Biobanking and Genomic Research: Moving Beyond the Disparities. JCO Glob Oncol 2021; 6:120-123. [PMID: 32031443 PMCID: PMC7000230 DOI: 10.1200/jgo.19.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nadine R Caron
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.,BC Genome Sciences Center, Vancouver, British Columbia.,University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia
| | - Brooke T Boswell
- University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia
| | - Viktor Deineko
- University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia
| | - Megan A Hunt
- First Nations Health Authority, Prince George, British Columbia
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13
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Tsosie KS, Yracheta JM, Kolopenuk JA, Geary J. We Have "Gifted" Enough: Indigenous Genomic Data Sovereignty in Precision Medicine. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:72-75. [PMID: 33825628 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1891347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Janis Geary
- University of Alberta
- Arizona State University
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14
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Hermes A, Wiersma M, Kerridge I, Easteal S, Light E, Dive L, Lipworth W. Beyond platitudes: a qualitative study of Australian Aboriginal people's perspectives on biobanking. Intern Med J 2021; 51:1426-1432. [PMID: 33528097 DOI: 10.1111/imj.15223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biobanks are vital resources for genetics and genomics, and it is broadly recognised that for maximal benefit it is essential that they include samples and data from diverse ancestral groups. The inclusion of First Nations people, in particular, is important to prevent biobanking research from exacerbating existing health inequities, and to ensure that these communities share in the benefits arising from research. AIMS To explore the perspectives of Australian Aboriginal people whose tissue - or that of their family members - has been stored in the biobank of the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG). METHODS Semi-structured interviews with 42 Aboriginal people from the Titjikala, Galiwinku, Tiwi Islands, Yarrabah, Fitzroy Crossing, Derby, One Arm Point and Mulan communities, as well as a formal discussion with A. Hermes, an Indigenous Community Engagement Coordinator at the NCIG who had conducted the interviews. The interviews and the structured discussion were double coded using a procedure informed by Charmaz's outline of grounded theory analysis and Morse's outline of the cognitive basis of qualitative research. RESULTS In this article, we report on A. Hermes' interviews with members from the above Aboriginal communities, as well as on her personal views, experiences, and interpretations of the interviews she conducted with other community members. We found that participation in the NCIG biobank raised issues around broken trust, grief and loss, but also - somewhat unexpectedly - was perceived as a source of empowerment, hope and reconnection. CONCLUSIONS This research reminds us (again) of the need to engage deeply with communities in order to respond appropriately with respect for their cultural values and norms, and to develop culturally relevant policies and processes that enhance the benefits of biobank participation and minimise potential harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azure Hermes
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG), Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Miriam Wiersma
- Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Haematology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian Kerridge
- Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Haematology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Simon Easteal
- National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG), Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Edwina Light
- Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa Dive
- Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Wendy Lipworth
- Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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15
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Collins SA, Edmunds S, Akearok GH, Thompson JR, Erickson AC, Hildes-Ripstein E, Miners A, Somerville M, Goldfarb DM, Rockman-Greenberg C, Arbour L. Association of the CPT1A p.P479L Metabolic Gene Variant With Childhood Respiratory and Other Infectious Illness in Nunavut. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:678553. [PMID: 34295859 PMCID: PMC8290072 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.678553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Infectious illness, including lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and infant mortality in Inuit children in Nunavut Canada. The carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) p.P479L variant is common in arctic Indigenous populations of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. CPT1A is a fatty acid oxidation enzyme expressed in the liver, immunocytes and other tissues, and is needed to use fats for energy during fasting. Previous association of the variant with early childhood infectious illness and infant death has been challenged because of sample size and limited adjustment for confounders. We evaluated whether the p.P479L variant is associated with infectious illness in Inuit children of Nunavut, Canada. Methods: We conducted a retrospective clinical chart review of 2,225 Inuit children (0-5 years) for infectious illness (including otitis media, gastroenteritis, and hospital admission for LRTI), prenatal, perinatal, and socioeconomic indicators, subsequently linking to CPT1A genotype. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for birth characteristics, breastfeeding, maternal smoking, food insecurity, and socioeconomic indicators. Results: Overall, 27% of children were hospitalized for LRTI, 86% had otitis media and 50% had gastroenteritis. The p.P479L allele frequency was 0.82. In multivariable analysis, p.P479L homozygosity was associated with LRTI admission (aOR:2.88 95%CI:1.46-5.64), otitis media (aOR:1.83, 95%CI:1.05-3.21), and gastroenteritis (aOR:1.74, 95%CI:1.09-2.77), compared to non-carriers. Conclusion: Children homozygous for the p.P479L variant were more likely to experience infectious illness than non-carriers, including hospitalization for respiratory tract infections. Given the role of CPT1A in immunocytes, our findings indicate that more study is needed to determine if there is a role of the variant in immune response. Continued Inuit involvement is essential when considering next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorcha A Collins
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sharon Edmunds
- Department of Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Iqaluit, NU, Canada
| | | | | | - Anders C Erickson
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Elske Hildes-Ripstein
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Amber Miners
- Department of Health, Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, NU, Canada
| | - Martin Somerville
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David M Goldfarb
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Laura Arbour
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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16
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Wagner JK, Colwell C, Claw KG, Stone AC, Bolnick DA, Hawks J, Brothers KB, Garrison NA. Fostering Responsible Research on Ancient DNA. Am J Hum Genet 2020; 107:183-195. [PMID: 32763189 PMCID: PMC7413888 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticipating and addressing the social implications of scientific work is a fundamental responsibility of all scientists. However, expectations for ethically sound practices can evolve over time as the implications of science come to be better understood. Contemporary researchers who work with ancient human remains, including those who conduct ancient DNA research, face precisely this challenge as it becomes clear that practices such as community engagement are needed to address the important social implications of this work. To foster and promote ethical engagement between researchers and communities, we offer five practical recommendations for ancient DNA researchers: (1) formally consult with communities; (2) address cultural and ethical considerations; (3) engage communities and support capacity building; (4) develop plans to report results and manage data; and (5) develop plans for long-term responsibility and stewardship. Ultimately, every member of a research team has an important role in fostering ethical research on ancient DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Wagner
- Professional Practice and Social Implications Committee (formerly the Social Issues Committee), American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Center for Translational Bioethics and Health Care Policy, Geisinger, Danville, PA 17822, USA.
| | - Chip Colwell
- Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Department of Anthropology, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, CO 80205, USA
| | - Katrina G Claw
- Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Anne C Stone
- Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Deborah A Bolnick
- Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - John Hawks
- Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kyle B Brothers
- Professional Practice and Social Implications Committee (formerly the Social Issues Committee), American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Nanibaa' A Garrison
- Professional Practice and Social Implications Committee (formerly the Social Issues Committee), American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Responsible Ancient DNA Research Working Group, American Society of Human Genetics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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17
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Begay RL, Garrison NA, Sage F, Bauer M, Knoki-Wilson U, Begay DH, Becenti-Pigman B, Claw KG. Weaving the Strands of Life ( Iiná Bitł'ool): History of Genetic Research Involving Navajo People. Hum Biol 2020; 91:189-208. [PMID: 32549035 PMCID: PMC7895446 DOI: 10.13110/humanbiology.91.3.04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
To date, some genetic studies offer medical benefits but lack a clear pathway to benefit for people from underrepresented backgrounds. Historically, Indigenous people, including the Diné (Navajo people), have raised concerns about the lack of benefits, misuse of DNA samples, lack of consultation, and ignoring of cultural and traditional ways of knowing. Shortly after the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board was established in 1996, the Navajo Nation recognized growing concerns about genetic research, and in 2002 they established a moratorium on human genetic research studies. The moratorium effectively has protected their citizens from potential genetic research harms. Despite the placement of the moratorium, some genetic research studies have continued using blood and DNA samples from Navajo people. To understand the history of genetic research involving Navajo people, the authors conducted a literature review of genetic or genetics-related research publications that involved Navajo people, identifying 79 articles from the years 1926 to 2018. To their knowledge, no known literature review has comprehensively examined the history of genetic research in the Navajo community. This review divides the genetic research articles into the following general classifications: bacteria or virus genetics, blood and human leukocyte antigens, complex diseases, forensics, hereditary diseases, and population genetics and migration. The authors evaluated the methods reported in each article, described the number of Navajo individuals reported, recorded the academic and tribal approval statements, and noted whether the study considered Diné cultural values. Several studies focused on severe combined immunodeficiency disease, population history, neuropathy, albinism, and eye and skin disorders that affect Navajo people. The authors contextualize Diné ways of knowing related to genetics and health with Western scientific concepts to acknowledge the complex philosophy and belief system that guides Diné people and recognizes Indigenous science. They also encourage researchers to consider cultural perspectives and traditional knowledge that has the potential to create stronger conclusions and better-informed, ethical, and respectful science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene L Begay
- Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Nanibaa' A Garrison
- Institute for Society and Genetics, College of Letters and Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board, Window Rock, Arizona, USA
| | - Franklin Sage
- Diné Policy Institute, Navajo Nation, Tsaile, Arizona, USA
| | | | | | - David H Begay
- Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board, Window Rock, Arizona, USA
- Diné Hataałii Association, Navajo Nation, USA
| | | | - Katrina G Claw
- Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA,
- Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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18
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Tsosie KS, Begay RL, Fox K, Garrison NA. Generations of genomes: advances in paleogenomics technology and engagement for Indigenous people of the Americas. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:91-96. [PMID: 32721847 PMCID: PMC7484015 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
For decades, scientists have collected genomic information from Indigenous peoples and their ancestors with the goal of elucidating human migration events, understanding ancestral origins, and identifying ancestral variants contributing to disease. However, such studies may not have offered much benefit to the Indigenous groups who contributed DNA, and many have instead perpetuated stereotypes and other harms. With recent advances in genomic technology facilitating the study of both ancient and present-day DNA, researchers and Indigenous communities have new opportunities to begin collaboratively addressing important questions about human health and history. Yet, while there are increased efforts to ethically engage Indigenous communities, more work is still needed as the discipline struggles to absolve itself of the racialized science and extractive biocolonialism that defined its past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystal S Tsosie
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37325, USA; Native BioData Consortium, Eagle Butte, SD 57625, USA
| | - Rene L Begay
- Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Keolu Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Global Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Indigenous Futures Lab, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Native BioData Consortium, Eagle Butte, SD 57625, USA
| | - Nanibaa' A Garrison
- Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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19
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Caron NR, Chongo M, Hudson M, Arbour L, Wasserman WW, Robertson S, Correard S, Wilcox P. Indigenous Genomic Databases: Pragmatic Considerations and Cultural Contexts. Front Public Health 2020; 8:111. [PMID: 32391301 PMCID: PMC7193324 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential to grow genomic knowledge and harness the subsequent clinical benefits has escalated the building of background variant databases (BVDs) for genetic diagnosis across the globe. Alongside the upsurge of this precision medicine, potential benefits have been highlighted for both rare genetic conditions and other diagnoses. However, with the ever-present “genomic divide,” Indigenous peoples globally have valid concerns as they endure comparatively greater health disparities but stand to benefit the least from these novel scientific discoveries and progress in healthcare. The paucity of Indigenous healthcare providers and researchers in these fields contributes to this genomic divide both in access to, and availability of culturally safe, relevant and respectful healthcare using this genetic knowledge. The vital quest to provide equitable clinical research, and provision and use of genomic services and technologies provides a strong rationale for building BVDs for Indigenous peoples. Such tools would ground their representation and participation in accompanying genomic health research and benefit acquisition. We describe two, independent but highly similar initiatives–the “Silent Genomes” in Canada and the “Aotearoa Variome” in New Zealand–as exemplars that have had to address the aforementioned issues and work to create Indigenous BVDs with these populations. Taking into account the baseline inequities in genomic medicine for Indigenous populations and the ongoing challenges of implementing genomic research with Indigenous communities, we provide a rationale for multiple changes required that will assure communities represented in BVDs, as well as Indigenous researchers, that their participation will maximize benefits and minimize risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Rena Caron
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Genome Sciences Center, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Meck Chongo
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia Canada, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Maui Hudson
- Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Laura Arbour
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Wyeth W Wasserman
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stephen Robertson
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Solenne Correard
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Phillip Wilcox
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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20
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Prictor M, Huebner S, Teare HJA, Burchill L, Kaye J. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collections of Genetic Heritage: The Legal, Ethical and Practical Considerations of a Dynamic Consent Approach to Decision Making. THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS : A JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS 2020; 48:205-217. [PMID: 32342777 DOI: 10.1177/1073110520917012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic Consent (DC) is both a model and a specific web-based tool that enables clear, granular communication and recording of participant consent choices over time. The DC model enables individuals to know and to decide how personal research information is being used and provides a way in which to exercise legal rights provided in privacy and data protection law. The DC tool is flexible and responsive, enabling legal and ethical requirements in research data sharing to be met and for online health information to be maintained. DC has been used in rare diseases and genomics, to enable people to control and express their preferences regarding their own data. However, DC has never been explored in relationship to historical collections of bioscientific and genetic heritage or to contexts involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (First Peoples of Australia). In response to the growing interest by First Peoples throughout Australia in genetic and genomic research, and the increasing number of invitations from researchers to participate in community health and wellbeing projects, this article examines the legal and ethical attributes and challenges of DC in these contexts. It also explores opportunities for including First Peoples' cultural perspectives, governance, and leadership as a method for defining (or redefining) DC on cultural terms that engage best practice research and data analysis as well as respect for meaningful and longitudinal individual and family participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Prictor
- Megan Prictor, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in health, law and emerging technologies at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on informed consent approaches, electronic health records and data privacy. Sharon Huebner, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne's Indigenous Studies Unit and an honorary Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University. She has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families for the past two decades protecting and preserving intergenerational rights to cultural heritage, including the digital return of material culture from archives, libraries and museums. Harriet J.A. Teare, D.Phil. (Chemistry), is a researcher in healthcare and policy, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), the University of Oxford. Over the past 6 years she has been developing dynamic consent approaches, working with different patient groups and organisations to learn directly from potential users about how such a tool could benefit their research experience. Luke Burchill, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he leads the Aboriginal cardiovascular health disparities program. Clinically he works as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Specialist at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Associate Professor Burchill is the first Aboriginal cardiologist in Australia. Jane Kaye, D.Phil., is the Director of the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) at the University of Oxford and has a part-time Professorship at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where she also leads the HeLEX@Melbourne research team. The focus of Professor Kaye's research is on governance with an emphasis on personalised medicine, biobanks, privacy, data-sharing frameworks, international governance and translational research
| | - Sharon Huebner
- Megan Prictor, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in health, law and emerging technologies at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on informed consent approaches, electronic health records and data privacy. Sharon Huebner, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne's Indigenous Studies Unit and an honorary Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University. She has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families for the past two decades protecting and preserving intergenerational rights to cultural heritage, including the digital return of material culture from archives, libraries and museums. Harriet J.A. Teare, D.Phil. (Chemistry), is a researcher in healthcare and policy, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), the University of Oxford. Over the past 6 years she has been developing dynamic consent approaches, working with different patient groups and organisations to learn directly from potential users about how such a tool could benefit their research experience. Luke Burchill, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he leads the Aboriginal cardiovascular health disparities program. Clinically he works as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Specialist at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Associate Professor Burchill is the first Aboriginal cardiologist in Australia. Jane Kaye, D.Phil., is the Director of the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) at the University of Oxford and has a part-time Professorship at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where she also leads the HeLEX@Melbourne research team. The focus of Professor Kaye's research is on governance with an emphasis on personalised medicine, biobanks, privacy, data-sharing frameworks, international governance and translational research
| | - Harriet J A Teare
- Megan Prictor, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in health, law and emerging technologies at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on informed consent approaches, electronic health records and data privacy. Sharon Huebner, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne's Indigenous Studies Unit and an honorary Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University. She has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families for the past two decades protecting and preserving intergenerational rights to cultural heritage, including the digital return of material culture from archives, libraries and museums. Harriet J.A. Teare, D.Phil. (Chemistry), is a researcher in healthcare and policy, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), the University of Oxford. Over the past 6 years she has been developing dynamic consent approaches, working with different patient groups and organisations to learn directly from potential users about how such a tool could benefit their research experience. Luke Burchill, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he leads the Aboriginal cardiovascular health disparities program. Clinically he works as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Specialist at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Associate Professor Burchill is the first Aboriginal cardiologist in Australia. Jane Kaye, D.Phil., is the Director of the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) at the University of Oxford and has a part-time Professorship at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where she also leads the HeLEX@Melbourne research team. The focus of Professor Kaye's research is on governance with an emphasis on personalised medicine, biobanks, privacy, data-sharing frameworks, international governance and translational research
| | - Luke Burchill
- Megan Prictor, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in health, law and emerging technologies at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on informed consent approaches, electronic health records and data privacy. Sharon Huebner, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne's Indigenous Studies Unit and an honorary Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University. She has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families for the past two decades protecting and preserving intergenerational rights to cultural heritage, including the digital return of material culture from archives, libraries and museums. Harriet J.A. Teare, D.Phil. (Chemistry), is a researcher in healthcare and policy, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), the University of Oxford. Over the past 6 years she has been developing dynamic consent approaches, working with different patient groups and organisations to learn directly from potential users about how such a tool could benefit their research experience. Luke Burchill, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he leads the Aboriginal cardiovascular health disparities program. Clinically he works as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Specialist at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Associate Professor Burchill is the first Aboriginal cardiologist in Australia. Jane Kaye, D.Phil., is the Director of the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) at the University of Oxford and has a part-time Professorship at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where she also leads the HeLEX@Melbourne research team. The focus of Professor Kaye's research is on governance with an emphasis on personalised medicine, biobanks, privacy, data-sharing frameworks, international governance and translational research
| | - Jane Kaye
- Megan Prictor, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in health, law and emerging technologies at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on informed consent approaches, electronic health records and data privacy. Sharon Huebner, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne's Indigenous Studies Unit and an honorary Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University. She has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families for the past two decades protecting and preserving intergenerational rights to cultural heritage, including the digital return of material culture from archives, libraries and museums. Harriet J.A. Teare, D.Phil. (Chemistry), is a researcher in healthcare and policy, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), the University of Oxford. Over the past 6 years she has been developing dynamic consent approaches, working with different patient groups and organisations to learn directly from potential users about how such a tool could benefit their research experience. Luke Burchill, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he leads the Aboriginal cardiovascular health disparities program. Clinically he works as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Specialist at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Associate Professor Burchill is the first Aboriginal cardiologist in Australia. Jane Kaye, D.Phil., is the Director of the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) at the University of Oxford and has a part-time Professorship at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where she also leads the HeLEX@Melbourne research team. The focus of Professor Kaye's research is on governance with an emphasis on personalised medicine, biobanks, privacy, data-sharing frameworks, international governance and translational research
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Woodbury RB, Beans JA, Hiratsuka VY, Burke W. Data Management in Health-Related Research Involving Indigenous Communities in the United States and Canada: A Scoping Review. Front Genet 2019; 10:942. [PMID: 31649725 PMCID: PMC6796238 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Multiple factors, including experiences with unethical research practices, have made some Indigenous groups in the United States and Canada reticent to participate in potentially beneficial health-related research. Yet, Indigenous peoples have also expressed a willingness to participate in research when certain conditions related to the components of data management-including data collection, analysis, security and storage, sharing, dissemination, and withdrawal-are met. A scoping review was conducted to better understand the terms of data management employed in health-related research involving Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada. Methods: PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO, and Web of Science were searched using terms related to the populations and topics of interest. Results were screened and articles deemed eligible for inclusion were extracted for content on data management, community engagement, and community-level research governance. Results: The search strategy returned 734 articles. 31 total articles were extracted, of which nine contained in-depth information on data management and underwent detailed extraction. All nine articles reported the development and implementation of data management tools, including research ethics codes, data-sharing agreements, and biobank access policies. These articles reported that communities were involved in activities and decisions related to data collection (n=7), data analysis (n=5), data-sharing (n=9), dissemination (n=7), withdrawal (n=4), and development of data management tools (n=9). The articles also reported that communities had full or shared ownership of (n=5), control over (n=9), access to (n=1), and possession of data (n=5). All nine articles discussed the role of community engagement in research and community-level research governance as means for aligning the terms of data management with the values, needs, and interests of communities. Conclusions: There is need for more research and improved reporting on data management in health-related research involving Indigenous peoples in the United States and Canada. Findings from this review can provide guidance for the identification of data management terms and practices that may be acceptable to Indigenous communities considering participation in health-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Brian Woodbury
- Research Department, Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska, United States
| | - Julie A Beans
- Research Department, Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska, United States
| | - Vanessa Y Hiratsuka
- Research Department, Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska, United States
| | - Wylie Burke
- Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Garrison NA, Hudson M, Ballantyne LL, Garba I, Martinez A, Taualii M, Arbour L, Caron NR, Rainie SC. Genomic Research Through an Indigenous Lens: Understanding the Expectations. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2019; 20:495-517. [PMID: 30892943 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-083118-015434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Indigenous scholars are leading initiatives to improve access to genetic and genomic research and health care based on their unique cultural contexts and within sovereign-based governance models created and accepted by their peoples. In the past, Indigenous peoples' engagement with genomicresearch was hampered by a lack of standardized guidelines and institutional partnerships, resulting in group harms. This article provides a comparative analysis of research guidelines from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States that pertain to Indigenous peoples. The goals of the analysis are to identify areas that need attention, support Indigenous-led governance, and promote the development of a model research policy framework for genomic research and health care that has international relevance for Indigenous peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanibaa' A Garrison
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98101, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98101, USA;
| | - Māui Hudson
- Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand;
| | - Leah L Ballantyne
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada;
| | - Ibrahim Garba
- James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.,Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA; , ,
| | - Andrew Martinez
- Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA; , ,
| | - Maile Taualii
- Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817, USA;
| | - Laura Arbour
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada; .,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada;
| | - Nadine R Caron
- Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program, University of British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9, Canada.,Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.,Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada;
| | - Stephanie Carroll Rainie
- Native Nations Institute, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA; , , .,Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
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Garrison NA, Brothers KB, Goldenberg AJ, Lynch JA. Genomic Contextualism: Shifting the Rhetoric of Genetic Exceptionalism. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2019; 19:51-63. [PMID: 30676903 PMCID: PMC6397766 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1544304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
As genomic science has evolved, so have policy and practice debates about how to describe and evaluate the ways in which genomic information is treated for individuals, institutions, and society. The term genetic exceptionalism, describing the concept that genetic information is special or unique, and specifically different from other kinds of medical information, has been utilized widely, but often counterproductively in these debates. We offer genomic contextualism as a new term to frame the characteristics of genomic science in the debates. Using stasis theory to draw out the important connection between definitional issues and resulting policies, we argue that the framework of genomic contextualism is better suited to evaluating genomics and its policy-relevant features to arrive at more productive discussion and resolve policy debates.
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Morgan J, Coe RR, Lesueur R, Kenny R, Price R, Makela N, Birch PH. Indigenous Peoples and genomics: Starting a conversation. J Genet Couns 2018; 28:407-418. [PMID: 30629780 PMCID: PMC7379939 DOI: 10.1002/jgc4.1073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Compared to European ancestral groups, Indigenous Canadians are more likely to have uninterpretable genome-wide sequencing results due to non-representation in reference databases. We began a conversation with Indigenous Canadians to raise awareness and give voice to this issue. We co-created a video explaining genomic non-representation that included diverse Indigenous view-points. We audio-recorded the focus groups including 30 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals living in Greater Vancouver. After watching an introductory video explaining genomic testing, participants discussed issues surrounding collecting Indigenous genomic data, its control, and usage. Transcripts were analyzed, and participants' quotes representing main themes were incorporated into the introductory video. Indigenous participants discussed data interpretation and gave approval for quote usage. The 20 participants who provided feedback concurred with the thematic interpretation: Systemic racism interlaced most conversations, particularly within the theme of trust. Themes of governance emphasized privacy and fear of discrimination. Some participants thought a separate, Indigenous-controlled database was essential; others recognized advantages of international databases. The theme of implementation included creative ideas to collect Indigenous genomes, but prior approval from Indigenous leaders was emphasized. The final video (https://youtu.be/-wivIBDjoi8) was shared with participants to use as they wish to promote awareness and ongoing discussion of genomic diagnostic inequity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Morgan
- Indigenous Health Program, BC Women's and Children's Hospitals, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rachel R Coe
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rochelle Lesueur
- Indigenous Health Program, BC Women's and Children's Hospitals, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ruth Kenny
- Indigenous Health Program, BC Women's and Children's Hospitals, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Roberta Price
- Indigenous Health Program, BC Women's and Children's Hospitals, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nancy Makela
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Patricia H Birch
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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25
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Abadie R, Goldenberg S, Welch-Lazoritz M, Fisher CB. Establishing trust in HIV/HCV research among people who inject drugs (PWID): Insights from empirical research. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208410. [PMID: 30517202 PMCID: PMC6281254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The establishment of trust between researchers and participants is critical to advance HIV and HCV prevention particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID) and other marginalized populations, yet empirical research on how to establish and maintain trust in the course of community health research is lacking. This paper documents ideas about trust between research participants and researchers amongst a sub-sample of PWID who were enrolled in a large, multi-year community health study of social networks and HIV/HCV risk that was recently conducted in rural Puerto Rico. METHODS Qualitative research was nested within a multi-year Social Network and HIV/HCV Risk study involving N = 360 PWID > 18 years of age living in four small, rural Puerto Rican communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March 2017 and April 2017 with a subset of 40 active PWID who had been enrolled in the parent study. Interview questions invited participants to draw upon their recent experience as research participants to better understand how PWID perceive and understand participant-researcher trust within the context of HIV/HCV-related epidemiological research. RESULTS Fear of police, stigma and concerns regarding confidentiality and anonymity were identified as structural factors that could compromise participation in HIV/HCV-related research for PWID. While monetary compensation was an important motivation, participants also valued the opportunity to learn about their HIV/HCV status. During their participation in the study, gaining knowledge of safe injection practices was perceived as a valuable benefit. Participant narratives suggested that PWID may adopt an incremental and ongoing approach in their assessment of the trustworthiness of researchers, continuously assessing the extent to which they trust the research staff throughout the course of the research. Trust was initially generated through peer Respondent Driven Sampling recruitment. Research staff who maintained a presence in the community for the entire duration of the prospective study reinforced trust between participants and the research team. CONCLUSION Although PWID face numerous structural barriers to research-related trust in HIV/HCV research, we found that using a peer-based recruitment method like RDS, and employing a research staff who are knowledgeable about the targeted population, culturally sensitive to their needs, and who maintain a long-term presence in the community may help mitigate many of these barriers. The reputation of the research is built incrementally as participants join the study. This contributes to a "street reputation" that grows as current or former participants vouch for the study. Establishing trust was identified as only the first step towards building a collaborative relationship with participants, and our findings suggest that steps to address criminalization and stigmatization also are necessary to support research trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Abadie
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
| | - Shira Goldenberg
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Bumaby, BC, Canada
| | - Melissa Welch-Lazoritz
- Pharmaceutical and Nutrition Care, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Celia B. Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
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Abstract
The practice of human biology requires the negotiation of a range of ethical issues, including the politics of race and indigeneity, the appropriate use of research materials, and the relationship between researchers and those people from whose bodies they seek to gain knowledge. Grounding my discussion in a history of the field, I discuss key ethical turning points that have shaped the present. These include the field's complex historical relationship to race and colonialism and the implications this relationship has for research, including the needs and desires of Indigenous peoples. This review demonstrates that human biology has been a crucible for many of the most complex ethical issues facing anthropology and allied practices of biomedicine and life science. Its future success as a field is inextricable from its practitioners’ ability to adapt in ways that foster the trust and engagement of those humans whose bodies constitute the basis for their knowledge making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Radin
- Program in History of Science and Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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27
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Fisher CB, Layman DM. Genomics, Big Data, and Broad Consent: a New Ethics Frontier for Prevention Science. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2018; 19:871-879. [PMID: 30145751 PMCID: PMC6182378 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-018-0944-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Emerging technologies for analyzing biospecimens have led to advances in understanding the interacting role of genetics and environment on development and individual responsivity to prevention and intervention programs. The scientific study of gene-environment influences has also benefited from the growth of Big Data tools that allow linking genomic data to health, educational, and other information stored in large integrated datasets. These advances have created a new frontier of ethical challenges for scientists as they collect, store, or engage in secondary use of potentially identifiable information and biospecimens. To address challenges arising from technological advances and the expanding contexts in which potentially identifiable information and biospecimens are collected and stored, the Office of Human Research Protections has revised federal regulations for the protection of human subjects. The revised regulations create a new format, content, and transparency requirements for informed consent, including a new mechanism known as broad consent. Broad consent offers participants a range of choices regarding consent for the storage and future use of their personally identifiable data. These regulations have important implications for how prevention scientists and oversight boards acquire participant consent for the collection, storage, and future use of their data by other investigators for scientific purposes significantly different from the original study. This article describes regulatory changes and challenges affecting traditional informed consent for prevention research, followed by a description of the rationale and requirements for obtaining broad consent, and concludes with a discussion of future challenges involving ongoing transparency and protections for participants and their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia B Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Dealy Hall 441, East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA.
| | - Deborah M Layman
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Dealy Hall 441, East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
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28
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Kapplinger JD, Erickson A, Asuri S, Tester DJ, McIntosh S, Kerr CR, Morrison J, Tang A, Sanatani S, Arbour L, Ackerman MJ. KCNQ1 p.L353L affects splicing and modifies the phenotype in a founder population with long QT syndrome type 1. J Med Genet 2017; 54:390-398. [PMID: 28264985 PMCID: PMC5502312 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2016-104153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance between individuals with identical long QT syndrome (LQTS) causative mutations largely remain unexplained. Founder populations provide a unique opportunity to explore modifying genetic effects. We examined the role of a novel synonymous KCNQ1 p.L353L variant on the splicing of exon 8 and on heart rate corrected QT interval (QTc) in a population known to have a pathogenic LQTS type 1 (LQTS1) causative mutation, p.V205M, in KCNQ1-encoded Kv7.1. Methods 419 adults were genotyped for p.V205M, p.L353L and a previously described QTc modifier (KCNH2-p.K897T). Adjusted linear regression determined the effect of each variant on QTc, alone and in combination. In addition, peripheral blood RNA was extracted from three controls and three p.L353L-positive individuals. The mutant transcript levels were assessed via qPCR and normalised to overall KCNQ1 transcript levels to assess the effect on splicing. Results For women and men, respectively, p.L353L alone conferred a 10.0 (p=0.064) ms and 14.0 (p=0.014) ms increase in QTc and in men only a significant interaction effect in combination with the p.V205M (34.6 ms, p=0.003) resulting in a QTc of ∼500 ms. The mechanism of p.L353L's effect was attributed to approximately threefold increase in exon 8 exclusion resulting in ∼25% mutant transcripts of the total KCNQ1 transcript levels. Conclusions Our results provide the first evidence that synonymous variants outside the canonical splice sites in KCNQ1 can alter splicing and clinically impact phenotype. Through this mechanism, we identified that p.L353L can precipitate QT prolongation by itself and produce a clinically relevant interactive effect in conjunction with other LQTS variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie D Kapplinger
- Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Anders Erickson
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sirisha Asuri
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David J Tester
- Division of Heart Rhythm Services, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sarah McIntosh
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Charles R Kerr
- Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Julie Morrison
- Gitxsan Health Society, Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anthony Tang
- Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shubhayan Sanatani
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Arbour
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael J Ackerman
- Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.,Division of Heart Rhythm Services, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.,Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A P479L and infant death: policy implications of emerging data. Genet Med 2017; 19:851-857. [PMID: 28125087 DOI: 10.1038/gim.2016.202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 isoform A (CPT1A) is a crucial enzyme for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria. The CPT1A p.P479L variant is found in high frequencies among indigenous populations residing on the west and north coasts of Alaska and Canada and in northeast Siberia and Greenland. Epidemiological studies have reported a statistical association between P479L homozygosity and infant death in Alaska Native and Canadian Inuit populations. Here, we review the available evidence about the P479L variant and apply to these data the epidemiological criteria for assessing causal associations. We found insufficient evidence to support a causal association with infant death and, further, that if a causal association is present, then the genotype is likely to be only one of a complex set of factors contributing to an increased risk of infant death. We conclude that additional research is needed to clarify the observed association and to inform effective preventative measures for infant death. In light of these findings, we discuss the policy implications for public health efforts because policies based on the observed association between P479L homozygosity and infant death data are premature.Genet Med advance online publication 26 January 2017.
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Bolnick DA, Raff JA, Springs LC, Reynolds AW, Miró-Herrans AT. Native American Genomics and Population Histories. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-102215-100036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Studies of Native American genetic diversity and population history have been transformed over the last decade by important developments in anthropological genetics. During this time, researchers have adopted new DNA technologies and computational approaches for analyzing genomic data, and they have become increasingly sensitive to the views of research participants and communities. As new methods are applied to long-standing questions, and as more research is conducted in collaboration with indigenous communities, we are gaining new insights into the history and diversity of indigenous populations. This review discusses the recent methodological advances and genetic studies that have improved our understanding of Native American genomics and population histories. We synthesize current knowledge about Native American genomic variation and build a model of population history in the Americas. We also discuss the broader implications of this research for anthropology and related disciplines, and we highlight challenges and other considerations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A. Bolnick
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712;, , ,
- Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Jennifer A. Raff
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7556
| | - Lauren C. Springs
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712;, , ,
| | - Austin W. Reynolds
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712;, , ,
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Aida T. Miró-Herrans
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712;, , ,
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Yusuf A, Elsabbagh M. At the cross-roads of participatory research and biomarker discovery in autism: the need for empirical data. BMC Med Ethics 2015; 16:88. [PMID: 26669759 PMCID: PMC4681135 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-015-0082-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identifying biomarkers for autism can improve outcomes for those affected by autism. Engaging the diverse stakeholders in the research process using community-based participatory research (CBPR) can accelerate biomarker discovery into clinical applications. However, there are limited examples of stakeholder involvement in autism research, possibly due to conceptual and practical concerns. We evaluate the applicability of CBPR principles to biomarker discovery in autism and critically review empirical studies adopting these principles. METHODS Using a scoping review methodology, we identified and evaluated seven studies using CBPR principles in biomarker discovery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The limited number of studies in biomarker discovery adopting CBPR principles coupled with their methodological limitations suggests that such applications are feasible but challenging. These studies illustrate three CBPR themes: community assessment, setting global priorities, and collaboration in research design. We propose that further research using participatory principles would be useful in accelerating the pace of discovery and the development of clinically meaningful biomarkers. For this goal to be successful we advocate for increased attention to previously identified conceptual and methodological challenges to participatory approaches in health research, including improving scientific rigor and developing long-term partnerships among stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afiqah Yusuf
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Ludmer Research & Training Building, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada.
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Ludmer Research & Training Building, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1, Canada.
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Minaya G, Roque J. Ethical problems in health research with indigenous or originary peoples in Peru. J Community Genet 2015; 6:201-6. [PMID: 26103916 PMCID: PMC4524872 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-015-0240-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The varied, abrupt and amazing geography of the land of Peru is home of one of the major concentrations of indigenous peoples in the world. The asymmetry of power, however, in their relationship with the rest of society and the State is still very evident in their social exclusion, their gap in social and economic development, barriers in their access to health services as well as their marginalization and exploitation as subjects of health research. In this paper, we analyse two cases of research on indigenous populations in Peru, discuss them from the point of view of bioethics and reflect on important issues for researchers, research participants and the society, such as the need to respect different cultures, the need that the research being done is relevant to the needs of the population in which it is conducted and the necessity to empower indigenous communities in participatory research, to strengthen the institutions and to protect human rights, namely through ethics committees for research and the free, informed and meaningful informed consent. This approach should foster quality research, while at the same time fully respecting human rights and bioethics. We cannot forget that advancements in genetics, throughout the world, are very much in debt to indigenous populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Minaya
- Instituto Nacional de Salud, Cápac Yupanqui 1400, Jesús María, Lima 11, Peru,
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Abadie R, Heaney K. “We can wipe an entire culture”: fears and promises of DNA biobanking among Native Americans. DIALECTICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10624-015-9391-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Bardill J, Garrison NA. Naming Indigenous Concerns, Framing Considerations for Stored Biospecimens. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2015; 15:73-5. [PMID: 26305764 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2015.1062164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
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Bardill J. Native American DNA: Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of an Evolving Concept. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-092412-155504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This review examines the emerging concept of “Native American DNA” utilized by genetic scientists and anthropologists to denote a connection via nucleotide bases between ancient and contemporary peoples of the Americas. This concept is problematic on conceptual and practical levels; this review highlights its use in various disciplines, focusing on ongoing disputes about its meaning and applicability and concluding with a call to attention for all who utilize such concepts. The ethical, legal, and social implications of Native American DNA have to be taken into account because the label itself is still under construction: Contemporary Native American peoples should not be confounded with the past or ancestral remains, but instead must actively be brought into research conversations at all stages.
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Abstract
Biological diversity in the patent system is an enduring focus of controversy but empirical analysis of the presence of biodiversity in the patent system has been limited. To address this problem we text mined 11 million patent documents for 6 million Latin species names from the Global Names Index (GNI) established by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Encyclopedia of Life (EOL). We identified 76,274 full Latin species names from 23,882 genera in 767,955 patent documents. 25,595 species appeared in the claims section of 136,880 patent documents. This reveals that human innovative activity involving biodiversity in the patent system focuses on approximately 4% of taxonomically described species and between 0.8–1% of predicted global species. In this article we identify the major features of the patent landscape for biological diversity by focusing on key areas including pharmaceuticals, neglected diseases, traditional medicines, genetic engineering, foods, biocides, marine genetic resources and Antarctica. We conclude that the narrow focus of human innovative activity and ownership of genetic resources is unlikely to be in the long term interest of humanity. We argue that a broader spectrum of biodiversity needs to be opened up to research and development based on the principles of equitable benefit-sharing, respect for the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, human rights and ethics. Finally, we argue that alternative models of innovation, such as open source and commons models, are required to open up biodiversity for research that addresses actual and neglected areas of human need. The research aims to inform the implementation of the 2010 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization and international debates directed to the governance of genetic resources. Our research also aims to inform debates under the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore at the World Intellectual Property Organization.
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Stevenson S, Beattie BL, Vedan R, Dwosh E, Bruce L, Illes J. Neuroethics, confidentiality, and a cultural imperative in early onset Alzheimer disease: a case study with a First Nation population. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 2013; 8:15. [PMID: 24131854 PMCID: PMC3853249 DOI: 10.1186/1747-5341-8-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The meaningful consideration of cultural practices, values and beliefs is a necessary component in the effective translation of advancements in neuroscience to clinical practice and public discourse. Society's immense investment in biomedical science and technology, in conjunction with an increasingly diverse socio-cultural landscape, necessitates the study of how potential discoveries in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease are perceived and utilized across cultures. Building on the work of neuroscientists, ethicists and philosophers, we argue that the growing field of neuroethics provides a pragmatic and constructive pathway to guide advancements in neuroscience in a manner that is culturally nuanced and relevant. Here we review a case study of one issue in culturally oriented neuroscience research where it is evident that traditional research ethics must be broadened and the values and needs of diverse populations considered for meaningful and relevant research practices. A global approach to neuroethics has the potential to furnish critical engagement with cultural considerations of advancements in neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun Stevenson
- National Core for Neuroethics, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Koerner S124, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - B Lynn Beattie
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Richard Vedan
- School of Social Work, The University of British Columbia, 2080 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Emily Dwosh
- Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders, UBC Hospital 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lindsey Bruce
- National Core for Neuroethics, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Koerner S124, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Judy Illes
- National Core for Neuroethics, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Koerner S124, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Rohlfs RV, Murphy E, Song YS, Slatkin M. The influence of relatives on the efficiency and error rate of familial searching. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70495. [PMID: 23967076 PMCID: PMC3743829 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate the consequences of adopting the criteria used by the state of California, as described by Myers et al. (2011), for conducting familial searches. We carried out a simulation study of randomly generated profiles of related and unrelated individuals with 13-locus CODIS genotypes and YFiler® Y-chromosome haplotypes, on which the Myers protocol for relative identification was carried out. For Y-chromosome sharing first degree relatives, the Myers protocol has a high probability (80~99%) of identifying their relationship. For unrelated individuals, there is a low probability that an unrelated person in the database will be identified as a first-degree relative. For more distant Y-haplotype sharing relatives (half-siblings, first cousins, half-first cousins or second cousins) there is a substantial probability that the more distant relative will be incorrectly identified as a first-degree relative. For example, there is a 3~18% probability that a first cousin will be identified as a full sibling, with the probability depending on the population background. Although the California familial search policy is likely to identify a first degree relative if his profile is in the database, and it poses little risk of falsely identifying an unrelated individual in a database as a first-degree relative, there is a substantial risk of falsely identifying a more distant Y-haplotype sharing relative in the database as a first-degree relative, with the consequence that their immediate family may become the target for further investigation. This risk falls disproportionately on those ethnic groups that are currently overrepresented in state and federal databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rori V Rohlfs
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
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Kowal E, Pearson G, Rouhani L, Peacock CS, Jamieson SE, Blackwell JM. Genetic research and aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2012; 9:419-432. [PMID: 23188401 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-012-9391-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
While human genetic research promises to deliver a range of health benefits to the population, genetic research that takes place in Indigenous communities has proven controversial. Indigenous peoples have raised concerns, including a lack of benefit to their communities, a diversion of attention and resources from non-genetic causes of health disparities and racism in health care, a reinforcement of "victim-blaming" approaches to health inequalities, and possible misuse of blood and tissue samples. Drawing on the international literature, this article reviews the ethical issues relevant to genetic research in Indigenous populations and considers how some of these have been negotiated in a genomic research project currently under way in a remote Aboriginal community. We consider how the different levels of Indigenous research governance operating in Australia impacted on the research project and discuss whether specific guidelines for the conduct of genetic research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Kowal
- School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
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Pullman D, Nicholas GP. Intellectual property and the ethical/legal status of human DNA: The (ir)relevance of context. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.7202/1012839ar] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There has been much discussion in recent years about the ethical and legal status of human DNA. This topic is of great relevance and importance to Aboriginal communities because the question of who has the right of access to and control over the DNA of individual persons, or of DNA extracted from human remains, could have implications for an entire community. In another context an individual’s decision to contribute a blood sample for health research could reveal much about the health status of other members of the community. Who has the right to control access to DNA or a community’s narrative of its origins? While some have argued that human DNA should be considered cultural property in order to ensure appropriate control of genetic information, we question the wisdom of this approach. Although we acknowledge that the differing contexts in which DNA is extracted and utilised could require unique approaches in some circumstances, we argue that emphasis should be primarily on the nature of the relationships established and maintained between researchers and descendant communities and only secondarily on the unique status of the DNA itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl Pullman
- Division of Community Health and Humanities, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - George P. Nicholas
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
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Brunger F, Bull J. Whose agenda is it? Regulating health research ethics in Labrador. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.7202/1012838ar] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In Labrador, the NunatuKavut (formerly Labrador Inuit Métis) have begun to introduce a rigorous community-based research review process. We conducted a study with leaders and health care workers in and beyond the NunatuKavut community of Labrador, asking them what should be emphasised in a community review. We also sought to identify whether and how community review should be distinct from the centralised, “institutional” research ethics review that would be the mandate of Newfoundland and Labrador’s impending provincial health research authority. In this article we report on our findings with the aim of providing strategies and direction for researchers, research ethics boards, and Aboriginal communities dealing with dual-level ethics review. We argue for the adoption and use of a consistent label for community review of research (“Community Research Review Committee”) as distinct from research ethics boards. We provide suggestions for the development of separate roles and responsibilities for community review of research to ensure that its tasks are clearly understood and delineated. Our objective is to promote a form of community research review, distinct from the “ethics” review of research ethics boards, that explicitly attends to research in the context of ongoing colonialism, assimilation, and exoticism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fern Brunger
- Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, Newfoundland, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Julie Bull
- Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada
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McWhirter RE, Mununggirritj D, Marika D, Dickinson JL, Condon JR. Ethical genetic research in Indigenous communities: challenges and successful approaches. Trends Mol Med 2012; 18:702-8. [PMID: 23007173 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2012.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Revised: 08/16/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Indigenous populations, in common with all populations, stand to benefit from the potential of genetic research to lead to improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic tools for a wide range of complex diseases. However, many Indigenous communities, especially ones that are isolated, are not included in genetic research efforts. This situation is largely a consequence of the challenges of ethically conducting genetic research in Indigenous communities and compounded by Indigenous peoples' negative past experiences with genetic issues. To examine ways of addressing these challenges, we review one investigation of a cancer cluster in remote Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land, Australia. Our experiences demonstrate that genetic research can be both ethically and successfully conducted with Indigenous communities by respecting the authority of the community, involving community members, and including regular community review throughout the research process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah E McWhirter
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811, Australia.
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Filippi MK, Young KL, Nazir N, Williams C, Brown T, Choi WS, Greiner KA, Daley CM. American Indian/Alaska Native willingness to provide biological samples for research purposes. J Community Health 2012; 37:701-5. [PMID: 22057422 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-011-9502-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This article examines the willingness of American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) to provide biological samples for research purposes. Prior cases of abuse and misuse of individuals, materials, and data highlight ethical research concerns. Investigators may be hesitant to engage AI/ANs in research projects. We conducted a survey of AI/ANs in the central plains region of the US over 1 year. This convenience sample completed a series of questions on biological samples and research. Survey results (N=998) indicate that 70.15% of AI/ANs would be willing to provide saliva/spit for a specific study with the proper consent and control of samples. In conclusion, researchers should find ways to work with and for AI/ANs, assuring participant input in the research process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K Filippi
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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Rohlfs RV, Fullerton SM, Weir BS. Familial identification: population structure and relationship distinguishability. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002469. [PMID: 22346758 PMCID: PMC3276546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With the expansion of offender/arrestee DNA profile databases, genetic forensic identification has become commonplace in the United States criminal justice system. Implementation of familial searching has been proposed to extend forensic identification to family members of individuals with profiles in offender/arrestee DNA databases. In familial searching, a partial genetic profile match between a database entrant and a crime scene sample is used to implicate genetic relatives of the database entrant as potential sources of the crime scene sample. In addition to concerns regarding civil liberties, familial searching poses unanswered statistical questions. In this study, we define confidence intervals on estimated likelihood ratios for familial identification. Using these confidence intervals, we consider familial searching in a structured population. We show that relatives and unrelated individuals from population samples with lower gene diversity over the loci considered are less distinguishable. We also consider cases where the most appropriate population sample for individuals considered is unknown. We find that as a less appropriate population sample, and thus allele frequency distribution, is assumed, relatives and unrelated individuals become more difficult to distinguish. In addition, we show that relationship distinguishability increases with the number of markers considered, but decreases for more distant genetic familial relationships. All of these results indicate that caution is warranted in the application of familial searching in structured populations, such as in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rori V Rohlfs
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
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McInnes R. 2010 Presidential Address: Culture: the silent language geneticists must learn--genetic research with indigenous populations. Am J Hum Genet 2011; 88:254-61. [PMID: 21516613 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Moodie S. Power, rights, respect and data ownership in academic research with indigenous peoples. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2010; 110:818-820. [PMID: 20817150 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2010.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2010] [Accepted: 08/12/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Moodie
- Johns Hopkins University, Division of Environmental Health Engineering, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Genetic Counseling for Early-onset Familial Alzheimer Disease in Large Aboriginal Kindred from a Remote Community in British Columbia: Unique Challenges and Possible Solutions. J Genet Couns 2010; 20:136-42. [DOI: 10.1007/s10897-010-9334-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2010] [Accepted: 09/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Walters KL, Simoni JM. Decolonizing strategies for mentoring American Indians and Alaska Natives in HIV and mental health research. Am J Public Health 2009; 99 Suppl 1:S71-6. [PMID: 19246668 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2008.136127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) scholars in the fields of mental health and HIV face formidable barriers to scientific success. These include justifiable mistrust of historically oppressive educational systems, educational disparities, role burdens within academe, the devaluation and marginalization of their research interests, and outright discrimination. Research partners can work to dismantle these barriers by embracing indigenous worldviews, engaging in collaborative research partnerships, building research capacity within universities and tribal communities, changing reward systems, and developing mentoring programs. At the individual level, aspiring AIAN scholars must build coalitions, reject internalized colonial messages, and utilize indigenous ethical frames. The creation of a cadre of AIAN researchers is crucial to improving the health of AIAN peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina L Walters
- Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, University of Washington School of Social Work, 4101 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
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