This Week —CBHD Fellow Daniel A. Beals, MD, offers a case study on off-label use of prescription drugs, entitled “Permissibility to Stop Off-Label Use of Expensive Drug Treatment for Child?” originally published in Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics.

Podcast

Administrative Assistant (Temporary Part-time):   CBHD is seeking to hire on a temporary basis, beginning immediately and ending on or before June 30th.  Previous experience in bioethics is not necessary.  The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, possess strong organizational, communication, and computer skills, as well as being adaptable to a changing workplace environment.  If you or someone you know is looking for a position in the northern suburbs of Chicago, please have them send a resume to Michael Sleasman, Managing Director & Research Scholar of the Center, at msleasman@cbhd.org.

Director of Development, CBHD & Bioethics at Trinity (Fulltime):  Position is responsible for developing a strategic plan, performing ongoing analysis and program implementation to achieve the development goals for Trinity's bioethics initiatives. This person will be versatile, able to perform competently in a wide variety of development functions. These functions will include event planning and execution, major gifts, foundation relations, annual fund solicitations, marketing and communications, church relations, and data management. For more information click here.

— Rick Borchelt, a spokesman for the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University, in "Who's your daddy? Answer's at the drugstore," MSNBC, March 28, 2008.

Medical Professionals Conference: Balancing Faith, Family and Practice
April 10-12, 2008
A Focus on the Family Event
Tel: 800/ 232-6459, or download Conference Brochure

Ethical Challenges in Surgical Innovation
May 8-9, 2008
InterContinental Hotel & Bank of America Conference Center
Cleveland, OH
Tel: 216/ 932-3448

5th International Symposium of the Definition of Death Network
May 20-23, 2008
Plaza America Convention Center
Varadero Beach, Cuba

Emerging Issues in Embryo Donation and Adoption
May 29-31, 2008
Marriot Crystal Gateway
Arlington, Virginia

Cloning treats mouse Parkinson’s
Therapeutic cloning has been successfully used to treat Parkinson’s disease in mice, US researchers say.

The study in Nature Medicine provides the best evidence so far that the controversial technique could one day help people with the condition. (BBC)

Op-Ed: Politically Correct Eugenics
It is a bitter irony that even as we are enlarging our commitment to human equality in many areas, we are turning our backs on it in others. In particular, we may be about to eliminate from our society people with Down syndrome (DS) and other genetically caused disabilities. (Weekly Standard)

Monday,March 24, 2008

Genetic Testing Gets Personal
In January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, movers and shakers lined up to spit into test tubes — the first step to having snippets of their DNA analyzed by 23andMe, a personalized gene-testing company that for $999 promises to help people “search and explore their genomes.” (Washington Post)

Never Mind the Singularity, Here’s the Science
Many computer scientists take it on faith that one day machines will become conscious. Led by futurist Ray Kurzweil, proponents of the so-called strong-AI school believe that a sufficient number of digitally simulated neurons, running at a high enough speed, can awaken into awareness. Once computing speed reaches 1016 operations per second — roughly by 2020 — the trick will be simply to come up with an algorithm for the mind. When we find it, machines will become self-aware, with unpredictable consequences. This event is known as the singularity. (Wired)

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Wisconsin: Penalty for Pharmacist’s Refusal Upheld
The 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled that the punishment the state Pharmacy Examining Board handed down against pharmacist Neil Noesen did not violate his state constitutional rights, specifically his “right of conscience” to religiously oppose birth control. (Associated Press)

Op-Ed: The Ethics of Embryology
Should deaf parents be prohibited from using reproductive technology to have a child with genes for deafness? Should an infertile couple be prohibited from using artificial sperm and eggs to have a child of their own? Should scientists be permitted to create hybrid embryos (animal eggs with human genetic nuclei) for research into human diseases? These are some of the highly controversial questions raised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill currently being debated in the UK Parliament. (The Journal)

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Who’s your daddy? Answer’s at the drugstore
The paternity kits have taken their place on store shelves next to other diagnostic tests that don’t rely on DNA, including those for pregnancy, HIV and blood sugar, said Michael S. Watson, executive director of the American College of Medical Genetics. (MSNBC)

Umbilical cord blood cell therapy in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease
A novel strategy based on targeted immune suppression using human umbilical cord blood cells may improve the pathology and cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease, based on the results of a study in a mouse model of this currently untreatable neurodegenerative condition, as described in a groundbreaking report in Stem Cells and Development. (PHYSORG)

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Report: Crazy Xs
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are genetically unstable over time in culture, which raises concerns about their clinical safety. Epigenetic changes, heritable controls over gene expression that do not alter DNA sequence, in hESCs may contribute significantly to this instability. Two studies published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences used complementary methods to examine X-chromosome inactivation in hESCs, reporting that this particular epigenetic change shows an incredible amount of variability between hESC lines regardless of the source of derivation. (Nature)

For big surgery, Delhi is dealing
Medical tourism soars as Americans seek major savings on health care in hospitals abroad. (Chicago Tribune)

Friday, March 28, 2008

Each week the top news stories, as determined by the staff at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity are sent out via email.

[Note: News stories, Quote of the Week, and events do not represent the Center's views. For additional commentary on many of the issues they raise, please see the CBHD web site at www.cbhd.org.]

Please visit http://www.bioethics.com for daily posts on bioethics news and issues.

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The contents of this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CBHD, its staff, board or supporters. Permission to reprint granted as long as The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity and the web address for this article is referenced.