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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bioethics | 6/7 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethics | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T16:33:10.462736+00:00 | kb-cron |
Gene therapy involves ethics, because scientists are making changes to genes, the building blocks of the human body. Currently, therapeutic gene therapy is available to treat specific genetic disorders by editing cells in specific body parts. For example, gene therapy can treat hematopoietic disease. There is also a controversial gene therapy called "germline gene therapy", in which genes in a sperm or egg can be edited to prevent genetic disorder in the future generation. It is unknown how this type of gene therapy affects long-term human development. In the United States, federal funding cannot be used to research germline gene therapy. Gene therapy, like any other treatment, has several advantages and ethical problems. Currently, the majority of gene therapies are a one time treatment rather than continuous prescribed drugs, and instead of treating symptoms, it can address the underlying cause of a genetic illness. It works best on diseases caused by a change in a single gene, like inherited blood disorders, for instance, sickle cell and hemophilia.[1] Gene therapy is still in its early stages and carries risks or limitations such as availability due to costs and access to technology, targeting of the wrong cells, certain types of cancer, and adverse reactions to your immune system [2].
== Professional practice == Bioethics as a subject of expert exercise (although now not a formal profession) developed at the beginning in North America in the Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen Nineties, in the areas of clinical / medical ethics and research ethics. Slowly internationalizing as a field, since the 2000s professional bioethics has expanded to include other specialties, such as organizational ethics in health systems, public health ethics, and more recently Ethics of artificial intelligence. Professional ethicists may be called consultants, ethicists, coordinators, or even analysts; and they may work in healthcare organizations, government agencies, and in both the public and private sectors. They may also be full-time employees, unbiased consultants, or have cross-appointments with educational institutions, such as lookup centres or universities.
== Models of bioethics == American ethicists Tom Beauchamp and James Childress developed Principles of Biomedical Ethics, a set of four principles that include autonomy, nonmaleficence (avoiding harm), beneficence (doing good), and justice. Today, the four principles are used by bioethicists to assess ethical considerations such as childhood vaccinations and patient autonomy. One facet of the principles that Beauchamp and Childress defend is the idea that a set of universal morals can be created and applied to a given situation. Critics of this philosophy argue that it is not possible to assign universal morality to social values. According to Ihor Boyko's book "Bioethics", there are three models of bioethics in the world:[citation needed]
Model 1 is "liberal" when there are no restrictions. Model 2 is "utilitarian", when what is prohibited is allowed for one person or a group of persons, if it is useful and beneficial for the majority of people. Model 3 is "personalistic", where the human person is considered an inviolable integrity.
== Learned societies and professional associations == The field of bioethics has developed national and international learned societies and professional associations, such as the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, the Canadian Bioethics Society, the Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards, the Association of Bioethics Program Directors, the Bangladesh Bioethics Society and the International Association of Bioethics.
== Education == Bioethics is taught in courses at the undergraduate and graduate level in different academic disciplines or programs, such as Philosophy, Medicine, Law, Social Sciences. It has become a requirement for professional accreditation in many health professional programs (Medicine, Nursing, Rehabilitation), to have obligatory training in ethics (e.g., professional ethics, medical ethics, clinical ethics, nursing ethics). Interest in the field and professional opportunities have led to the development of dedicated programs with concentrations in Bioethics, largely in the United States, Canada (List of Canadian bioethics programs) and Europe, offering undergraduate majors/minors, graduate certificates, and master's and doctoral degrees. Training in bioethics (usually clinical, medical, or professional ethics) are part of core competency requirements for health professionals in fields such as nursing, medicine or rehabilitation. For example, every medical school in Canada teaches bioethics so that students can gain an understanding of biomedical ethics and use the knowledge gained in their future careers to provide better patient care. Canadian residency training programs are required to teach bioethics as it is one of the conditions of accreditation, and is a requirement by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.