1
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Manzano A, Weging S, Bezdan D, Borg J, Cahill T, Carnero-Diaz E, Cope H, Deane CS, Etheridge T, Giacomello S, Hardiman G, Leys N, Madrigal P, Mastroleo F, Medina FJ, Mieczkowski J, Fernandez-Rojo MA, Siew K, Szewczyk NJ, Walsh SB, da Silveira WA, Herranz R. Enhancing European capabilities for application of multi-omics studies in biology and biomedicine space research. iScience 2023; 26:107289. [PMID: 37636054 PMCID: PMC10448007 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Following on from the NASA twins' study, there has been a tremendous interest in the use of omics techniques in spaceflight. Individual space agencies, NASA's GeneLab, JAXA's ibSLS, and the ESA-funded Space Omics Topical Team and the International Standards for Space Omics Processing (ISSOP) groups have established several initiatives to support this growth. Here, we present recommendations from the Space Omics Topical Team to promote standard application of space omics in Europe. We focus on four main themes: i) continued participation in and coordination with international omics endeavors, ii) strengthening of the European space omics infrastructure including workforce and facilities, iii) capitalizing on the emerging opportunities in the commercial space sector, and iv) capitalizing on the emerging opportunities in human subjects research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aránzazu Manzano
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Daniela Bezdan
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Yuri GmbH, Meckenbeuren, Germany
| | - Joseph Borg
- Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, 2080 Msida MSD, Malta
| | - Thomas Cahill
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
| | - Eugénie Carnero-Diaz
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UA, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Henry Cope
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
| | - Colleen S. Deane
- Human Development & Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - Timothy Etheridge
- Department of Sport and Health Science, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Stefania Giacomello
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gary Hardiman
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
| | - Natalie Leys
- Microbiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Pedro Madrigal
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, EMBL-EBI, Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Felice Mastroleo
- Microbiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - F. Javier Medina
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jakub Mieczkowski
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Manuel A. Fernandez-Rojo
- Hepatic Regenerative Medicine Lab, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Keith Siew
- University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | | | - Willian A. da Silveira
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Health, Science and Wellbeing, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
- International Space University, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Raúl Herranz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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2
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Bowes D, Darling A, Driver EM, Kaya D, Maal-Bared R, Lee LM, Goodman K, Adhikari S, Aggarwal S, Bivins A, Bohrerova Z, Cohen A, Duvallet C, Elnimeiry RA, Hutchison JM, Kapoor V, Keenum I, Ling F, Sills D, Tiwari A, Vikesland P, Ziels R, Mansfeldt C. Structured Ethical Review for Wastewater-Based Testing in Support of Public Health. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:12969-12980. [PMID: 37611169 PMCID: PMC10484207 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based testing (WBT) for SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly expanded over the past three years due to its ability to provide a comprehensive measurement of disease prevalence independent of clinical testing. The development and simultaneous application of WBT measured biomarkers for research activities and for the pursuit of public health goals, both areas with well-established ethical frameworks. Currently, WBT practitioners do not employ a standardized ethical review process, introducing the potential for adverse outcomes for WBT professionals and community members. To address this deficiency, an interdisciplinary workshop developed a framework for a structured ethical review of WBT. The workshop employed a consensus approach to create this framework as a set of 11 questions derived from primarily public health guidance. This study retrospectively applied these questions to SARS-CoV-2 monitoring programs covering the emergent phase of the pandemic (3/2020-2/2022 (n = 53)). Of note, 43% of answers highlight a lack of reported information to assess. Therefore, a systematic framework would at a minimum structure the communication of ethical considerations for applications of WBT. Consistent application of an ethical review will also assist in developing a practice of updating approaches and techniques to reflect the concerns held by both those practicing and those being monitored by WBT supported programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin
A. Bowes
- Biodesign
Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- Center on
Forced Displacement, Boston University, 111 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Amanda Darling
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, 415 Durham Hall; Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Erin M. Driver
- Biodesign
Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Devrim Kaya
- School of
Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, 105 26th St, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
- School of
Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego and Imperial Valley, California 92182, United States
| | - Rasha Maal-Bared
- Quality
Assurance and Environment, EPCOR Water Services Inc., EPCOR Tower, 2000−10423 101
Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5H 0E7, Canada
| | - Lisa M. Lee
- Department
of Population Health Sciences and Division of Scholarly Integrity
and Research Compliance, Virginia Tech, 300 Turner St. NW, Suite 4120 (0497), Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Kenneth Goodman
- Institute
for Bioethics and Health Policy, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33101, United States
| | - Sangeet Adhikari
- Biodesign
Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Srijan Aggarwal
- Department
of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Loop, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775, United States
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, 3255 Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Zuzana Bohrerova
- The Ohio
State University, Department of Civil, Environmental
and Geodetic Engineering, 2070 Neil Avenue, 470 Hitchcock Hall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Alasdair Cohen
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, 415 Durham Hall; Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Department
of Population Health Sciences, Virginia
Tech, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Claire Duvallet
- Biobot
Analytics, Inc., 501
Massachusetts Avenue; Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Rasha A. Elnimeiry
- Public
Health Outbreak Coordination, Informatics, Surveillance (PHOCIS) Office—Surveillance
Section, Division of Disease Control and Health Statistics, Washington State Department of Health, 111 Israel Rd SE, Tumwater, Washington 98501, United States
| | - Justin M. Hutchison
- Department
of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Kansas, 1530 W 15th St, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Vikram Kapoor
- School
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Ishi Keenum
- Complex
Microbial Systems Group, National Institute
of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Dr, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Fangqiong Ling
- Department
of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Deborah Sills
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 17837, United States
| | - Ananda Tiwari
- Department
of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöberginkatu 2,
P.O. Box 66, FI 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Expert
Microbiology Unit, Finnish Institute for
Health and Welfare, FI 70600 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Peter Vikesland
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street, 415 Durham Hall; Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Ryan Ziels
- Department
of Civil Engineering, The University of
British Columbia, 6250
Applied Science Ln #2002, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Cresten Mansfeldt
- Department
of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 428, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Environmental
Engineering Program, University of Colorado
Boulder, UCB 607, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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3
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Aboujaoude E, Light J, Brown JE, Boscardin WJ, Hallgrímsson B, Klein OD. Privacy, bias and the clinical use of facial recognition technology: A survey of genetics professionals. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2023; 193:e32035. [PMID: 36751120 PMCID: PMC10578447 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.32035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Facial recognition technology (FRT) has been adopted as a precision medicine tool. The medical genetics field highlights both the clinical potential and privacy risks of this technology, putting the discipline at the forefront of a new digital privacy debate. Investigating how geneticists perceive the privacy concerns surrounding FRT can help shape the evolution and regulation of the field, and provide lessons for medicine and research more broadly. Five hundred and sixty-two genetics clinicians and researchers were approached to fill out a survey, 105 responded, and 80% of these completed. The survey consisted of 48 questions covering demographics, relationship to new technologies, views on privacy, views on FRT, and views on regulation. Genetics professionals generally placed a high value on privacy, although specific views differed, were context-specific, and covaried with demographic factors. Most respondents (88%) agreed that privacy is a basic human right, but only 37% placed greater weight on it than other values such as freedom of speech. Most respondents (80%) supported FRT use in genetics, but not necessarily for broader clinical use. A sizeable percentage (39%) were unaware of FRT's lower accuracy rates in marginalized communities and of the mental health effects of privacy violations (62%), but most (76% and 75%, respectively) expressed concern when informed. Overall, women and those who self-identified as politically progressive were more concerned about the lower accuracy rates in marginalized groups (88% vs. 64% and 83% vs. 63%, respectively). Younger geneticists were more wary than older geneticists about using FRT in genetics (28% compared to 56% "strongly" supported such use). There was an overall preference for more regulation, but respondents had low confidence in governments' or technology companies' ability to accomplish this. Privacy views are nuanced and context-dependent. Support for privacy was high but not absolute, and clear deficits existed in awareness of crucial FRT-related discrimination potential and mental health impacts. Education and professional guidelines may help to evolve views and practices within the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Aboujaoude
- Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Janice Light
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julia E.H. Brown
- Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - W. John Boscardin
- Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Benedikt Hallgrímsson
- Departments of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CANADA
| | - Ophir D. Klein
- Department of Orofacial Sciences and Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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4
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Bowes DA, Darling A, Driver EM, Kaya D, Maal-Bared R, Lee LM, Goodman K, Adhikari S, Aggarwal S, Bivins A, Bohrerova Z, Cohen A, Duvallet C, Elnimeiry RA, Hutchison JM, Kapoor V, Keenum I, Ling F, Sills D, Tiwari A, Vikesland P, Ziels R, Mansfeldt C. Structured Ethical Review for Wastewater-Based Testing. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.06.12.23291231. [PMID: 37398480 PMCID: PMC10312843 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.12.23291231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based testing (WBT) for SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly expanded over the past three years due to its ability to provide a comprehensive measurement of disease prevalence independent of clinical testing. The development and simultaneous application of the field blurred the boundary between measuring biomarkers for research activities and for pursuit of public health goals, both areas with well-established ethical frameworks. Currently, WBT practitioners do not employ a standardized ethical review process (or associated data management safeguards), introducing the potential for adverse outcomes for WBT professionals and community members. To address this deficiency, an interdisciplinary group developed a framework for a structured ethical review of WBT. The workshop employed a consensus approach to create this framework as a set of 11-questions derived from primarily public health guidance because of the common exemption of wastewater samples to human subject research considerations. This study retrospectively applied the set of questions to peer- reviewed published reports on SARS-CoV-2 monitoring campaigns covering the emergent phase of the pandemic from March 2020 to February 2022 (n=53). Overall, 43% of the responses to the questions were unable to be assessed because of lack of reported information. It is therefore hypothesized that a systematic framework would at a minimum improve the communication of key ethical considerations for the application of WBT. Consistent application of a standardized ethical review will also assist in developing an engaged practice of critically applying and updating approaches and techniques to reflect the concerns held by both those practicing and being monitored by WBT supported campaigns. Abstract Figure Synopsis Development of a structured ethical review facilitates retrospective analysis of published studies and drafted scenarios in the context of wastewater-based testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin A. Bowes
- Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85287
- Center on Forced Displacement, Boston University, 111 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215
| | - Amanda Darling
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street; 415 Durham Hall; Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Erin M. Driver
- Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85287
| | - Devrim Kaya
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, 105 26th St, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego and Imperial Valley, CA
| | - Rasha Maal-Bared
- Quality Assurance and Environment, EPCOR Water Services Inc., EPCOR Tower, 2000–10423 101 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, CA
| | - Lisa M. Lee
- Department of Population Health Sciences and Division of Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance, Virginia Tech, 300 Turner St. NW, Suite 4120 (0497), Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Kenneth Goodman
- Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Sangeet Adhikari
- Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85287
| | - Srijan Aggarwal
- Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Loop, Fairbanks, AK 99775
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, 3255 Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
| | - Zuzana Bohrerova
- The Ohio State University, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, 2070 Neil Avenue, 470 Hitchcock Hall, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Alasdair Cohen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street; 415 Durham Hall; Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Tech, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Claire Duvallet
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., 501 Massachusetts Avenue; Cambridge, MA; 02139
| | - Rasha A. Elnimeiry
- Public Health Outbreak Coordination, Informatics, Surveillance (PHOCIS) Office – Surveillance Section, Division of Disease Control and Health Statistics, Washington State Department of Health, 111 Israel Rd SE, Tumwater, WA 98501
| | - Justin M. Hutchison
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Kansas, 1530 W 15th St, Lawrence, KS 66045
| | - Vikram Kapoor
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Ishi Keenum
- Complex Microbial Systems Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Dr, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
| | - Fangqiong Ling
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130
| | - Deborah Sills
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837
| | - Ananda Tiwari
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöberginkatu 2 P.O. Box 66 FI 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Peter Vikesland
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry Street; 415 Durham Hall; Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Ryan Ziels
- Department of Civil Engineering, the University of British Columbia, 6250 Applied Science Ln #2002, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
| | - Cresten Mansfeldt
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 428, Boulder, CO 80309
- Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 607, Boulder, CO 80309
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5
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Safarlou CW, Jongsma KR, Vermeulen R, Bredenoord AL. The ethical aspects of exposome research: a systematic review. EXPOSOME 2023; 3:osad004. [PMID: 37745046 PMCID: PMC7615114 DOI: 10.1093/exposome/osad004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, exposome research has been put forward as the next frontier for the study of human health and disease. Exposome research entails the analysis of the totality of environmental exposures and their corresponding biological responses within the human body. Increasingly, this is operationalized by big-data approaches to map the effects of internal as well as external exposures using smart sensors and multiomics technologies. However, the ethical implications of exposome research are still only rarely discussed in the literature. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the academic literature regarding both the exposome and underlying research fields and approaches, to map the ethical aspects that are relevant to exposome research. We identify five ethical themes that are prominent in ethics discussions: the goals of exposome research, its standards, its tools, how it relates to study participants, and the consequences of its products. Furthermore, we provide a number of general principles for how future ethics research can best make use of our comprehensive overview of the ethical aspects of exposome research. Lastly, we highlight three aspects of exposome research that are most in need of ethical reflection: the actionability of its findings, the epidemiological or clinical norms applicable to exposome research, and the meaning and action-implications of bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caspar W. Safarlou
- Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for
Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The
Netherlands
| | - Karin R. Jongsma
- Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for
Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The
Netherlands
| | - Roel Vermeulen
- Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for
Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The
Netherlands
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Utrecht University,
Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annelien L. Bredenoord
- Department of Global Public Health and Bioethics, Julius Center for
Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The
Netherlands
- Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam,
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Dupras C, Knoppers T, Palmour N, Beauchamp E, Liosi S, Siebert R, Berner AM, Beck S, Charest I, Joly Y. Researcher perspectives on ethics considerations in epigenetics: an international survey. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:110. [PMID: 36056446 PMCID: PMC9440515 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01322-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, bioethicists, legal scholars and social scientists have started to investigate the potential implications of epigenetic research and technologies on medicine and society. There is growing literature discussing the most promising opportunities, as well as arising ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI). This paper explores the views of epigenetic researchers about some of these discussions. From January to March 2020, we conducted an online survey of 189 epigenetic researchers working in 31 countries. We questioned them about the scope of their field, opportunities in different areas of specialization, and ELSI in the conduct of research and knowledge translation. We also assessed their level of concern regarding four emerging non-medical applications of epigenetic testing—i.e., in life insurance, forensics, immigration and direct-to-consumer testing. Although there was strong agreement on DNA methylation, histone modifications, 3D structure of chromatin and nucleosomes being integral elements of the field, there was considerable disagreement on transcription factors, RNA interference, RNA splicing and prions. The most prevalent ELSI experienced or witnessed by respondents were in obtaining timely access to epigenetic data in existing databases, and in the communication of epigenetic findings by the media. They expressed high levels of concern regarding non-medical applications of epigenetics, echoing cautionary appraisals in the social sciences and humanities literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Dupras
- Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, 740, Avenue Dr. Penfield, Suite 5200, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada. .,School of Public Health, University of Montreal, 7101 Parc avenue, Montreal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada.
| | - Terese Knoppers
- Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, 740, Avenue Dr. Penfield, Suite 5200, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Nicole Palmour
- Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, 740, Avenue Dr. Penfield, Suite 5200, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Beauchamp
- Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, 740, Avenue Dr. Penfield, Suite 5200, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Stamatina Liosi
- Centre for Health Ethics and Law, University of Southampton, Building 4, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alison May Berner
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 5PZ, UK
| | - Stephan Beck
- University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ian Charest
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, 90, Avenue Vincent-d'Indy/Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC, H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Yann Joly
- Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, 740, Avenue Dr. Penfield, Suite 5200, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
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7
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Dupras C, Bunnik EM. Response to Open Peer Commentaries on Toward a Framework for Assessing Privacy Risks in Multi-Omic Research and Databases. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2022; 22:W4-W6. [PMID: 35943524 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2022.2105436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
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8
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Cope H, Willis CR, MacKay MJ, Rutter LA, Toh LS, Williams PM, Herranz R, Borg J, Bezdan D, Giacomello S, Muratani M, Mason CE, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ. Routine omics collection is a golden opportunity for European human research in space and analog environments. PATTERNS 2022; 3:100550. [PMID: 36277820 PMCID: PMC9583032 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2022.100550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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9
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Stoeklé HC, Hervé C. Ownership of Genetic Data: Between Universalism and Contextualism? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:75-77. [PMID: 34806963 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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10
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Derrington SF, Deardorff MA, Judkins AR, Gai X. Whose Data, Whose Risk? Omics Privacy Concerns Should be Defined by Individuals, not Researchers. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:67-70. [PMID: 34806958 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xiaowu Gai
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles
- University of Southern California
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Alex K, Winkler EC. Is Dupras and Bunnik's Framework for Assessing Privacy Risks in Multi-Omic Research and Databases Still Too Exceptionalist? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:80-82. [PMID: 34806966 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Chadwick R. Exceptionalism, Information Categories and the Relevance of Gender. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:65-67. [PMID: 34806962 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Safarlou CW, Bredenoord AL, Vermeulen R, Jongsma KR. Scrutinizing Privacy in Multi-Omics Research: How to Provide Ethical Grounding for the Identification of Privacy-Relevant Data Properties. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:73-75. [PMID: 34806957 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Brochhausen M, Hester DM. Data Properties or Analytical Methodologies: Too Much Attention to the Former Ignores Concerns About the Latter. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:70-72. [PMID: 34806969 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Field RI. Whose Data Are They Anyway? Identification of Relatives and Genetic Exceptionalism. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2021; 21:78-79. [PMID: 34806971 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1991036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Vlachavas EI, Bohn J, Ückert F, Nürnberg S. A Detailed Catalogue of Multi-Omics Methodologies for Identification of Putative Biomarkers and Causal Molecular Networks in Translational Cancer Research. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2822. [PMID: 33802234 PMCID: PMC8000236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in sequencing and biotechnological methodologies have led to the generation of large volumes of molecular data of different omics layers, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Integration of these data with clinical information provides new opportunities to discover how perturbations in biological processes lead to disease. Using data-driven approaches for the integration and interpretation of multi-omics data could stably identify links between structural and functional information and propose causal molecular networks with potential impact on cancer pathophysiology. This knowledge can then be used to improve disease diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and therapy. This review will summarize and categorize the most current computational methodologies and tools for integration of distinct molecular layers in the context of translational cancer research and personalized therapy. Additionally, the bioinformatics tools Multi-Omics Factor Analysis (MOFA) and netDX will be tested using omics data from public cancer resources, to assess their overall robustness, provide reproducible workflows for gaining biological knowledge from multi-omics data, and to comprehensively understand the significantly perturbed biological entities in distinct cancer types. We show that the performed supervised and unsupervised analyses result in meaningful and novel findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstathios Iason Vlachavas
- Medical Informatics for Translational Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.B.); (F.Ü.)
| | - Jonas Bohn
- Medical Informatics for Translational Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.B.); (F.Ü.)
| | - Frank Ückert
- Medical Informatics for Translational Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.B.); (F.Ü.)
- Applied Medical Informatics, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sylvia Nürnberg
- Medical Informatics for Translational Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.B.); (F.Ü.)
- Applied Medical Informatics, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
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Ledda C. Epidemiological Research on Occupational and Environmental Carcinogens. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052215. [PMID: 33668145 PMCID: PMC7956703 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The cancer risk associated with exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens such as asbestos, benzene, radiation, or lifestyle carcinogens such as cigarette smoking depends on the entire history of exposure to the carcinogen, including the age of exposure and the time-varying intensity of exposure [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Ledda
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95100 Catania, Italy
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