Ethical considerations in presymptomatic testing for variant CJD
In this article the ethical implications of the availability of these tests are elaborated and comparisons drawn with predictive genetic testing for Huntington’s disease and screening for HIV.

The tension between self governance and absolute inner worth in Kant’s moral philosophy
It is argued in this paper, however, that this line of thought cannot be supported by Kant’s original ideas.

Making sense of dignity
In this review of Leon Kass’s Life, liberty and the defense of dignity and Deryck Beyleveld and Roger Brownsword’s Human dignity in bioethics and biolaw. I consider the prospects for a theory of dignity as a basis for bioethics research.

Framing the Future: Embryonic Stem Cells, Ethics and the Emerging Era of Developmental Biology
The moral and scientific dimensions of this proposal are discussed as a way forward for embryonic stem cell research as well as a frame for further studies in developmental biology.

Is It Ethical to Use Enhancement Technologies to Make Us Better than Well?
While these “enhancement technologies” can help people adapt to their rapidly changing lifestyles, their use raises important ethical issues.

Many Medical Screening Tests May Be Unnecessary
Doctors can face an ethical dilemma when patients request screening tests---such as those for breast cancer and prostate cancer---that may be ill-advised under certain circumstances.

Brain-scanning Technologies Need Standards, According To Stanford Researcher
Researchers have developed ever more sensitive ways of peering into the brain to seek out explanations for brain disease.

Feeling Good About Placebos
A medical ethicist believes giving a patient a placebo the old-fashioned way using some kind of "dummy" medication is deceptive and in most cases should not be done.

More Evidence Of Cannabis-induced Psychosis
Volunteers taking cannabis-based therapeutic drugs as part of a controlled trial, which had been approved by an ethics board as safe for the subjects, experienced psychotic effects just as strong as if they had smoked cannabis.

Ethics Of Boosting Brainpower Debated By Researchers
For decades people have nipped a wrinkle here, reduced a nose size there or paid for help boosting test scores. With this history of paying to improve our bodies and minds, why not extend that liberty to memory-improving drugs or brain-enhancing implants?

Male Surgeons Report Highest Rate Of Mistakes In Patient Care
Male surgeons report the highest rate of mistakes in patient care, reveals a study of doctors' attitudes to "adverse events" in the journal Quality and Safety in Health Care.

'Rhythm Method' May Kill Off More Embryos Than Other Methods Of Contraception
The "rhythm method" may kill off more embryos than other contraceptive methods, such as coils, morning after pills, and oral contraceptives, suggests an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

Free Drug Samples Influence Prescribing, Say One In Three Doctors
One in three doctors agree that free drug samples influence prescribing, finds a small but representative US survey published in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

Is Fear Of Frankenfood Holding Back Progress For The World's Food Supply?
Genetic engineering is among the most complex and contested topics in today's world. In addition to questions about the human genome, other ethical concerns have arisen, especially regarding genetically modified foods.

Findings Contradict Longstanding Bias Against The Use Of Morphine At The End Of Life
A report written by an OHSU physician with more than a half century of medical experience contradicts both public and professional bias against the use of morphine in the final stage of life for patients with breathing difficulties.

Stanford study questions accuracy of ads for body scans
A burgeoning industry that sells full-body scans to detect potential diseases – without a doctor’s referral – is running advertisements that frequently include unsubstantiated claims about the benefits of getting CT and MRI scans, while rarely provi

Japan Seeks Guidance From University Of Florida Organ Recovery Experts
As Japan Thursday legalized organ transplants from brain-dead donors, officials are turning to the University of Florida for guidance as they struggle to educate their citizens -- many of whom believe death occurs only once the heart stops beating.

Your Brain And You: Penn Researcher Forecasts Ethical Challenges Ahead For Neuroscience And Society
Are we ready for a future where brain scans invade our private thoughts? Will we have to alter our brains chemically to keep competitive at our jobs? Could science determine that "souls" do not exist, and, if so, what does that mean for how we t

Infants Or Adults? NIH Ethicists Argue For New Bird Flu Priorities
An American flu pandemic would present difficult and tragic choices: As many as 90 million people might become sick, and widespread shortages of vaccine would likely leave more than 90 percent of the population unprotected in the pandemic's first year.

Consortium Aims To Improve Protection Of Human Research Subjects
A national "Consortium to Examine Clinical Research Ethics" (CECRE) has been established at Duke University Medical Center to compile the first comprehensive information about oversight of clinical trials at medical centers, and to develop new w