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Nelson JP, Tomblin DC, Barbera A, Smallwood M. The divide so wide: Public perspectives on the role of human genome editing in the US healthcare system. Public Underst Sci 2024; 33:189-209. [PMID: 37638525 DOI: 10.1177/09636625231189955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
We report findings from two open-framed focus groups eliciting informed public opinion about the rapidly developing technology of human genome editing in the context of the US healthcare system. Results reveal that participants take a dim view of the present healthcare system, articulating extensive concerns about the accessibility and affordability of care. They feel that, unless these problems are resolved, they stand little chance of benefiting from any eventual human genome editing treatments. They prioritize improvement in healthcare access well above human genome editing development, and human genome editing regulation and oversight above human genome editing research. These results reveal substantial divergence between public perspectives and expert discourse on human genome editing. The latter attends primarily to the moral permissibility of technical categories of human genome editing research and how to treat human genome editing within existing regulatory and oversight systems rather than broader political-economic and healthcare access concerns. This divergence illustrates the importance of openly framed public engagement around emerging technologies.
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2
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Scheinerman N. Public Engagement through Inclusive Deliberation: The Human Genome International Commission and Citizens' Juries. Am J Bioeth 2023; 23:66-76. [PMID: 36476040 PMCID: PMC10244483 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2022.2146786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, I take seriously calls for public engagement in human genome editing decision-making by endorsing the convening of a "Citizens Jury" in conjunction with the International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing's next summit scheduled for March 6-8, 2023. This institutional modification promises a more inclusive, deliberative, and impactful form of engagement than standard bioethics engagement opportunities, such as comment periods, by serving both normative and political purposes in the quest to offer moral guidance on gene editing. In examining evidence from the Australian Citizens' Jury on Genome Editing convened in 2021, I argue that Citizens' Juries should work in tandem with governing institutions to preserve the role of expertise while ensuring that the diverse views of the public are incorporated into their final reports as well. First, early inclusivity allows "the people" to hold agenda setting power through helping to set resource priorities. This also makes a downstream deliberative event, such as the called for Global Citizens' Assembly, both more likely to occur and more influential on policy. Second, Jury's diverse composition promises substantive contributions to the Commission's work. Third, Citizens' Juries could help to cultivate the Commission's trustworthiness.
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3
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Evans JH. Translational Bioethics and Public Input. Ethics Hum Res 2023; 45:35-39. [PMID: 37368520 DOI: 10.1002/eahr.500175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Translational science is justified as advancing the public's interests but has no mechanism for determining these interests. Standard social science approaches would produce either unrepresentative descriptions or a cacophony of data not easily condensed into a concrete conclusion about moving forward with a translational-science project. Here, I propose that the simplifying and structuring ethics employed by institutional review boards (IRBs) be used to create social science reports of the four to six most prominent values or principles of the public regarding a biotechnology. A board of bioethicists would weigh and balance these values to conclude whether the public supports a given translational-science innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H Evans
- Tata Chancellor's Chair of Social Science and a codirector of the Institute for Practical Ethics at the University of California, San Diego
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4
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Ryan EB, Weary DM. Public attitudes toward the use of technology to create new types of animals and animal products. Anim Welf 2023; 32:e43. [PMID: 38487425 PMCID: PMC10936287 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2023.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Philosophers have used thought experiments to examine contentious examples of genetic modification. We hypothesised that these examples would prove useful in provoking responses from lay participants concerning technological interventions used to address welfare concerns. We asked 747 US and Canadian citizens to respond to two scenarios based on these thought experiments: genetically modifying chickens to produce blind progeny that are less likely to engage in feather-pecking (BC); and genetically modifying animals to create progeny that do not experience any subjective state (i.e. incapable of experiencing pain or fear; IA). For contrast, we assessed a third scenario that also resulted in the production of animal protein with no risk of suffering but did not involve genetically modifying animals: the development of cultured meat (CM). Participants indicated on a seven-point scale how acceptable they considered the technology (1 = very wrong to do; 7 = very right to do), and provided a text-based, open-ended explanation of their response. The creation of cultured meat was judged more acceptable than the creation of blind chickens and insentient animals. Qualitative responses indicated that some participants accepted the constraints imposed by the thought experiment, for example, by accepting perceived harms of the technology to achieve perceived benefits in reducing animal suffering. Others expressed discomfort with such trade-offs, advocating for other approaches to reducing harm. We conclude that people vary in their acceptance of interventions within existing systems, with some calling for transformational change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin B Ryan
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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5
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Park JK, Lu CY. Polygenic Scores in the Direct-to-Consumer Setting: Challenges and Opportunities for a New Era in Consumer Genetic Testing. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13040573. [PMID: 37108959 PMCID: PMC10144199 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13040573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests have generated considerable scholarly attention and public intrigue. Although the current consumer genetic testing regime relies on the reporting of individual variants of interest to consumers, there has recently been interest in the possibility of integrating polygenic scores (PGS), which aggregate genetic liability for disease across the entire genome. While PGS have thus far been extensively explored as clinical and public health tools, the use of PGS in consumer genetic testing has not yet received systematic attention, even though they are already in use for some consumer genetic tests. In this narrative review, we highlight the ethical, legal, and social implications of the use of PGS in DTC genetic tests and synthesize existing solutions to these concerns. We organize these concerns into three domains: (1) industry variation; (2) privacy and commercialization; and (3) patient safety and risk. While previously expressed concerns in these domains will remain relevant, the emergence of PGS-based DTC genetic tests raises challenges that will require novel approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin K Park
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christine Y Lu
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and the Northern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW 2077, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Thaldar D, Shozi B, Steytler M, Hendry G, Botes M, Mnyandu N, Naidoo M, Pillay S, Slabbert M, Townsend B. A deliberative public engagement study on heritable human genome editing among South Africans: Study results. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275372. [PMID: 36441783 PMCID: PMC9704621 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports the results of a public engagement study on heritable human genome editing (HHGE) carried out in South Africa, which was conducted in accordance with a study protocol that was published in this journal in 2021. This study is novel as it is the first public engagement study on HHGE in Africa. It used a deliberative public engagement (DPE) methodology, entailing inter alia that measures were put in place to ensure that potential participants became informed about HHGE, and that deliberations between the participants were facilitated with the aim of seeking consensus. A diverse group of 30 persons was selected to participate in the DPE study, which took place via Zoom over three consecutive weekday evenings. The main results are: Provided that HHGE is safe and effective, an overwhelming majority of participants supported allowing the use of HHGE to prevent genetic health conditions and for immunity against TB and HIV/Aids, while significant majorities opposed allowing HHGE for enhancement. The dominant paradigm during the deliberations was balancing health benefits (and associated improvements in quality of life) with unforeseen health risks (such as loss of natural immunity). The seriousness of a health condition emerged as the determining factor for the policy choice of whether to allow an application of HHGE. More generally, equal access to HHGE qua healthcare service featured as an important value, and it was uncontested that the South African government should allocate resources to promote scientific research into HHGE. These results are aligned with the policy principles for regulating HHGE in South Africa suggested by Thaldar et al. They call for urgent revision of South African ethics guidelines that currently prohibit research on HHGE, and for dedicated HHGE legal regulations that provide a clear and comprehensive legal pathway for researchers who intend to conduct HHGE research and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donrich Thaldar
- School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Bonginkosi Shozi
- School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Institute for Practical Ethics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | | | | | - Marietjie Botes
- School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust, Université du Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Ntokozo Mnyandu
- School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Siddharthiya Pillay
- School of Management, Information Technology & Governance, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Magda Slabbert
- College of Law, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Beverley Townsend
- School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- York Law School, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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Cadigan RJ, Waltz M, Henderson GE, Conley JM, Davis AM, Major R, Juengst ET. Scientists' Views on Scientific Self-Governance for Human Genome Editing Research. Hum Gene Ther 2022; 33:1157-1163. [PMID: 35850532 PMCID: PMC9700337 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As research on human gene editing has grown, a variety of prominent international organizations are considering how best to govern such research. But what role do scientists engaged in genome editing think they should have in developing research governance? In this study, we present results from a survey of 212 U.S.-based scientists regarding views on human genome editing governance. Most did not believe that scientists should be allowed to self-govern human genome editing research. Open-ended responses revealed four main reasons: conflicts of interest, the inevitability of rare "bad apples," historical evidence to the contrary, and the limitations of scientific expertise. Analyses of open-ended responses also revealed scientists' views on how human gene editing research should be governed. These views emphasize interdisciplinary professional and public input. The study results illustrate a noteworthy shift in the scientific community's traditional vision of professional autonomy and can inform ongoing efforts to develop research governance approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Jean Cadigan
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Margaret Waltz
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gail E. Henderson
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - John M. Conley
- University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Arlene M. Davis
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rami Major
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric T. Juengst
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Teixeira da Silva JA. Handling Ethics Dumping and Neo-Colonial Research: From the Laboratory to the Academic Literature. J Bioeth Inq 2022; 19:433-443. [PMID: 35731331 PMCID: PMC9215145 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-022-10191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores that the topic of ethics dumping (ED), its causes and potential remedies. In ED, the weaknesses or gaps in ethics policies and systems of lower income countries are intentionally exploited for intellectual or financial gains through research and publishing by higher income countries with a more stringent or complex ethical infrastructure in which such research and publishing practices would not be permitted. Several examples are provided. Possible ED needs to be evaluated before research takes place, and detected prior to publication as an academic paper, because it might lead to a collaborative effort between a wealthier country with restrictive ethical policies and a less wealthy country with more permissive policies. Consequently, if that collaboration ultimately results in an academic paper, there are ethical ramifications of ED to scholarly communication. Institutional review board approval is central to avoid ED-based collaborations. Blind trust and goodwill alone cannot eliminate the exploitation of indigenous or "vulnerable" populations' intellect and resources. Combining community-based participatory research using clear codes of research conduct and a simple but robust verification system in academic publishing may reduce the risks of ED-based research from being published.
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Pinto da Silva S, de Freitas C, Severo M, Silva S. Gamete and embryo donation for research: what might shape the willingness to donate among gamete donors and recipients? J Assist Reprod Genet 2022; 39:2077-2087. [PMID: 35986809 PMCID: PMC9475016 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02569-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Research using gametes and embryos donated by reproductive and third-party donors contributed to substantial, albeit contentious achievements. The views of gamete donors and recipients on donation for research and the underpinning role of attitudes towards research have been seldom explored and are yet to be incorporated into ethical, legal, and regulatory landscapes. From a cultural standpoint, this study adapts and explores psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Research Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ), and analyzes the willingness of gamete donors and recipients to donate gametes and embryos for research and its association with sociodemographic, reproductive characteristics, and attitudes towards research. METHODS Between July 2017 and June 2018, 71 donors and 165 recipients completed a self-administered questionnaire at the Portuguese Public Bank of Gametes. Willingness to donate and attitudes towards research were measured with a 5-point Likert scale. RAQ psychometric characteristics were explored. RESULTS Two RAQ components were identified: "trustworthiness of research" and "critical perspective". Most participants were willing to donate gametes and embryos: donors more willing to donate gametes and male recipients more willing to donate gametes and embryos. Higher RAQ scores, indicating a more positive attitude towards research, were observed on the component "trustworthiness of research" among those willing to donate gametes and embryos and on the component "critical perspective" among those willing to donate embryos. CONCLUSION These findings help foster inclusivity, diversity, and responsiveness of research and call for upstream engagement of male and female gamete donors and recipients, promoting a trustworthy, anticipatory, democratic, and people-centered approach to policies, regulations, and practices in human gamete and embryo research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Pinto da Silva
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas nº135, 4050‑600, Porto, Portugal.
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas nº135, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal.
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cláudia de Freitas
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas nº135, 4050‑600, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas nº135, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
- Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES-IUL), University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL), Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Milton Severo
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas nº135, 4050‑600, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas nº135, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira nº 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Silva
- Department of Sociology, Institute of Social Sciences, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA), Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026, Lisboa, Portugal
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Houtman D, Vijlbrief B, Polak M, Pot J, Verhoef P, Cornel M, Riedijk S. Changes in opinions about human germline gene editing as a result of the Dutch DNA-dialogue project. Eur J Hum Genet 2022; 31:409-416. [PMID: 35551502 PMCID: PMC9095815 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-022-01114-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Public engagement for Human Germline Genome Editing (HGGE) has often been called for, for example by the WHO. However, the impact of public engagement remains largely unknown. This study reports on public engagement outcomes in the context of a public dialogue project about HGGE in the Netherlands; the DNA-dialogue. The aim was to inquire opinions and opinion change regarding HGGE. A questionnaire was distributed on a national level (n = 2381) and a dialogue level (n = 414). The results indicate that the majority of the Dutch population agrees with the use of HGGE to prevent severe genetic diseases (68.6%), unlike the use to protect against infectious diseases (39.7%), or for enhancement (8.5%). No indications of change in these acceptance rates as a result of dialogue participation were found. The results did provide a tentative indication that participation in dialogue may lead to less negative opinions about HGGE (χ2(1) = 5.14, p = 0.023, OR = 0.56, 95% CI [0.34, 0.93]). While it was not a goal of the project to make people more accepting towards HGGE, this might be the effect of exposure to opinions that are less often heard in the global debate. We conclude that dialogue may lead to different outcomes for different people, depending on their characteristics and their entrance attitude, but does not appear to systematically direct people towards a certain opinion. The self-reported, impacts of dialogue participation included no impact, strengthening of opinion, enabling of forming a first opinion, more insight into the potential implications of HGGE, and a better understanding of other people's perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diewertje Houtman
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Boy Vijlbrief
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marike Polak
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies (DPECS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Martina Cornel
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sam Riedijk
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Y Adashi
- Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - I Glenn Cohen
- Harvard Law School & Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Abstract
How strong is the argument for requiring public deliberation by very large publics-at national or even global levels-before moving forward with efforts to use gene editing on wild populations of plants or animals? Should there be a general moratorium on any such efforts until such broad public deliberation has been successfully carried out? This article works toward recommendations about the need for and general framing of broad public deliberation. It finds that broad public deliberation is highly desirable but not flatly necessary before moving forward with any local cases of gene editing in the wild. It also finds that broad public deliberation would be most helpful in generating very general guidance and is unlikely to be appropriate for specific cases. Broad public deliberation is most helpful for cases that involve higher levels of uncertainty and moral ambiguity, but separating out a distinct class of cases for deliberation is not yet possible.
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13
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Chen K, Burgess MM. Narratives in Public Deliberation: Empowering Gene Editing Debate with Storytelling. Hastings Cent Rep 2021; 51 Suppl 2:S85-S91. [PMID: 34905243 DOI: 10.1002/hast.1324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Gene editing in the environment must consider uncertainty about potential benefits and risks for different populations and under different conditions. There are disagreements about the weight and balance of harms and benefits. Deliberative and community-led approaches offer the opportunity to engage and empower diverse publics to co-create responses and solutions to controversial policy choices in a manner that is inclusive of diverse perspectives. Stories, understood as situated accounts that reflect a person's life experiences, can enable the articulation of nuanced perspectives, diversify how perspectives are communicated, encourage wider participation, open dominant perspectives to challenge, and invite participants to assess appropriate empathy and precaution in collective positions. An emphasis on storytelling in deliberations on gene editing of organisms emphasizes carefully designed recruitment and facilitation to support hearing from a range of perspectives, including those that present a different set of assumptions than those that may be held by experts or other stakeholders, among these, consideration of how to understand our relationships to nature.
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14
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Wills BC, Gusmano MK, Schlesinger M. Envisioning Complex Futures: Collective Narratives and Reasoning in Deliberations over Gene Editing in the Wild. Hastings Cent Rep 2021; 51 Suppl 2:S92-S100. [PMID: 34905247 DOI: 10.1002/hast.1325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The development of technologies for gene editing in the wild has the potential to generate tremendous benefit, but also raises important concerns. Using some form of public deliberation to inform decisions about the use of these technologies is appealing, but public deliberation about them will tend to fall back on various forms of heuristics to account for limited personal experience with these technologies. Deliberations are likely to involve narrative reasoning-or reasoning embedded within stories. These are used to help people discuss risks, processes, and fears that are otherwise difficult to convey. In this article, we identify three forms of collective narrative that are particularly relevant to debates about modifying genes in the wild. Our purpose is not to privilege any particular narrative, but to encourage people involved in deliberations to make these narratives transparent. Doing so can help guard against the way some narratives-referred to here as "crafted narratives"-may be manipulated by powerful elites and concentrated economic interests for their own strategic ends.
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15
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Palmer S, Dearden PK, Mercier OR, King-Hunt A, Lester PJ. Gene drive and RNAi technologies: a bio-cultural review of next-generation tools for pest wasp management in New Zealand. J R Soc N Z 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2021.1985531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Symon Palmer
- Te Kawa a Māui – School of Māori Studies, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Peter K. Dearden
- Genomics Aotearoa, Bioprotection Research Centre, and Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Ocean R. Mercier
- Te Kawa a Māui – School of Māori Studies, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Alan King-Hunt
- Te Kawa a Māui – School of Māori Studies, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Phillip J. Lester
- School of Biology, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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Abstract
There are a variety of governance mechanisms concerning the ownership and use of patents. These include government licenses, compulsory licenses, march-in rights for inventions created with federal funding, government use rights, enforcement restrictions, subject-matter restrictions, and a host of private governance regimes. Each has been discussed in various contexts by scholars and policymakers and some, in some degree, have been employed in different cases at different times. But scholars have yet to explore how each of these choices are subject to-or removed from-democratic control. Assessing the range of democratic implications of these patent governance choices is important in understanding the social and political implications of controversial or wide-ranging technologies because their use has a significant potential to affect the polity. This paper seeks to unpack these concerns for genome editing, such as CRISPR, specifically. Patents covering genome editing make an interesting case because, to date, it appears that the polity is concerned less with certain kinds of access, and more with distribution and limits on the technology's particular uses, such as human enhancement and certain agricultural and environmental applications. Here, we explore what it means for patents to be democratic or non-democratically governed and, in so doing, identify that patents covering many of the most controversial applications-that is, ones most likely to gain public attention-are effectively controlled by either non- or anti-democratic institutions, namely, private restrictions on licensing. This may be effective-for now-but lawmakers should be wary that such restrictions could rapidly reverse themselves. Meanwhile, other choices, like compulsory licenses, more broadly touch on democratic deliberation but, as currently structured, are aimed poorly for particular applications. Insofar as the public wants, or perhaps deserves, a say in the distribution and limits of these applications, illuminating the ways in which these governance choices intersect-or fail to intersect-with democratic institutions is critical. We offer some concluding thoughts about the nature of patents and their relationship with democratic governance as distributed claims to authority, and suggest areas for scholars and policymakers to pay close attention to as the genome editing patent landscape develops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Scheinerman
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jacob S. Sherkow
- College of Law, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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17
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Abstract
Much has been written about gene modifying technologies (GMTs), with a particularly strong focus on human germline genome editing (HGGE) sparked by its unprecedented clinical research application in 2018, shocking the scientific community. This paper applies political, ethical, and social lenses to aspects of HGGE to uncover previously underexplored considerations that are important to reflect on in global discussions. By exploring 4 areas-(1) just distribution of HGGE benefits through a realist lens; (2) HGGE through a national interest lens; (3) "broad societal consensus" through a structural injustice lens; and (4) HGGE through a scientific trustworthiness lens-a broader perspective is offered, which ultimately aims to enrich further debates and inform well-considered solutions for developments in this field. The application of these lenses also brings to light the fact that all discussions about scientific developments involve a conscious or unconscious application of a lens that shapes the direction of our thinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki Xafis
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - G. Owen Schaefer
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Markus K. Labude
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yujia Zhu
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Soren Holm
- Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, Department of Law, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Center for Medical Ethics, HELSAM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Roger Sik-Yin Foo
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health Systems, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, Singapore
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Poh San Lai
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ruth Chadwick
- School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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18
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Angrist M, Barrangou R, Baylis F, Brokowski C, Burgio G, Caplan A, Chapman CR, Church GM, Cook-Deegan R, Cwik B, Doudna JA, Evans JH, Greely HT, Hercher L, Hurlbut JB, Hynes RO, Ishii T, Kiani S, Lee LH, Levrier G, Liu DR, Lunshof JE, Macintosh KL, Mathews DJH, Meslin EM, Mills PHR, Montoliu L, Musunuru K, Nicol D, O'Neill H, Qiu R, Ranisch R, Sherkow JS, Soni S, Terry S, Topol E, Williamson R, Zhang F, Davies K. Reactions to the National Academies/Royal Society Report on Heritable Human Genome Editing. CRISPR J 2021; 3:332-349. [PMID: 33095048 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.29106.man] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In September 2020, a detailed report on Heritable Human Genome Editing was published. The report offers a translational pathway for the limited approval of germline editing under limited circumstances and assuming various criteria have been met. In this perspective, some three dozen experts from the fields of genome editing, medicine, bioethics, law, and related fields offer their candid reactions to the National Academies/Royal Society report, highlighting areas of support, omissions, disagreements, and priorities moving forward.
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19
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Waltz M, Juengst ET, Edwards T, Henderson GE, Kuczynski KJ, Conley JM, Della-Penna P, Cadigan RJ. The View from the Benches: Scientists' Perspectives on the Uses and Governance of Human Gene-Editing Research. CRISPR J 2021; 4:609-615. [PMID: 34406038 PMCID: PMC8392077 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of human gene editing has stimulated international interest in how best to govern this research. However, research on stakeholder views has neglected scientists themselves. We surveyed 212 scientists who use gene editing in their work. Questions captured views on oversight and use of somatic and germline human gene editing for treatment, prevention, and enhancement. More respondents were supportive of somatic than germline editing, and more supported gene editing for treatment compared to prevention. Few supported its use for enhancement. When presented with specific conditions, levels of support for somatic editing differed by type of condition. Almost all respondents said scientists and national government representatives should be involved in oversight, but only 28% said scientists are best positioned to oversee gene-editing research. These results can inform the development of sound approaches to research governance, demonstrating the importance of identifying specific gene-editing uses when considering oversight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Waltz
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric T. Juengst
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Teresa Edwards
- H.W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gail E. Henderson
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kristine J. Kuczynski
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - John M. Conley
- University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Paige Della-Penna
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - R. Jean Cadigan
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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20
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Nelson JP, Selin CL, Scott CT. Toward Anticipatory Governance of Human Genome Editing: A Critical Review of Scholarly Governance Discourse. J Responsible Innov 2021; 8:382-420. [PMID: 35281674 PMCID: PMC8916747 DOI: 10.1080/23299460.2021.1957579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The rapid development of human genome editing (HGE) techniques evokes an urgent need for forward-looking deliberation regarding the aims, processes, and governance of research. The framework of anticipatory governance (AG) may serve this need. This article reviews scholarly discourse about HGE through an AG lens, aiming to identify gaps in discussion and practice and suggest how AG efforts may fill them. Discourse on HGE has insufficiently reckoned with the institutional and systemic contexts, inputs, and implications of HGE work, to the detriment of its ability to prepare for a variety of possible futures and pursue socially desirable ones. More broadly framed and inclusive efforts in foresight and public engagement, focused not only upon the in-principle permissibility of HGE activities but upon the contexts of such work, may permit improved identification of public values relevant to HGE and of actions by which researchers, funders, policymakers, and publics may promote them.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Nelson
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, 1120 South Cady Mall, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5603
| | - Cynthia L. Selin
- School for the Future of Innovation in Society/Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes, Arizona State University, 1120 South Cady Mall, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5603
| | - Christopher T. Scott
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030-3411
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21
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Houtman D, Vijlbrief B, Riedijk S. Experts in science communication: A shift from neutral encyclopedia to equal participant in dialogue. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52988. [PMID: 34269513 PMCID: PMC8344925 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202152988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Even if the predominant model of science communication with the public is now based on dialogue, many experts still adhere to the outdated deficit model of informing the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diewertje Houtman
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Boy Vijlbrief
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sam Riedijk
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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22
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Mayeur C, Saelaert M, Van Hoof W. The Belgian DNA Debate: An Online Deliberative Platform on the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues of Genomics. Public Health Genomics 2021; 24:149-159. [PMID: 33951658 DOI: 10.1159/000515356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Genomics is increasingly being implemented in the society. To fully realise this implementation, citizens should be consulted about their perspectives on genomics and its associated ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) to enable them to co-create with experts a society-supported framework in genomics. METHODS A Belgian online DNA debate was organised, where 1,127 citizens contributed to its deliberative platform. RESULTS Contributors expressed a dual attitude towards the societal use of genomic information throughout 5 main themes. Firstly, contributors considered DNA to have a significant but nondeterministic impact on identity. The second theme describes how genomic information may guide people's behaviour but has unfavourable effects such as psychological distress. The third theme covers the tension between a genomics-based responsibility and the rejection of genetic discrimination. The fourth theme depicts how genomic information may be useful for the common good and society at large but how, nevertheless, it should be people's free choice to use this information. In the fifth theme, contributors expressed both willingness to share their data and caution towards the harm and abuses this may engender. Finally, contributors formulated some recommendations for the responsible implementation of genomics. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The attitude of contributors towards the societal use of genomic information and its ELSI aligns with a soft precautionary approach, in which prudence and the weighing of different values should result in protective measures against potential risks and harms. Further societal implementation of genomics should include these values and concerns.
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23
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Abstract
Human gene editing, particularly using the new CRISPR/Cas9 technology, will greatly increase the capability to make precise changes to human genomes. Human gene editing can be broken into four major categories: somatic therapy, heritable gene editing, genetic enhancement, and basic and applied research. Somatic therapy is generally well governed by national regulatory systems, so the need for global governance is less urgent. All nations are in agreement that heritable gene editing should not proceed at this time, but there is likely to be divergence if and when such procedures are shown to be safe and effective. Gene editing for enhancement purposes is not feasible today but is more controversial with the public, and many nations do not have well-developed regulatory systems for addressing genetic enhancement. Finally, different nations treat research with human embryos very differently based on deeply embedded social, cultural, ethical, and legal traditions. Several international governance mechanisms are currently in operation for human gene editing, and several other governance mechanisms have been proposed. It is unlikely that any single mechanism will alone be effective for governing human gene editing; rather, a polycentric or ecosystem approach that includes several overlapping and interacting components is likely to be necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary E Marchant
- Center for Law, Science, and Innovation, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, USA;
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24
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Abstract
Genome editing, particularly the use of CRISPR-Cas9-based methodologies, is revolutionizing biology through its impacts on research and the translation of these into applications in biomedicine. Somatic genome editing aimed at treating individuals with disease raises some significant ethical issues, but proposed heritable interventions, through the use of genome editing in gametes or embryos, raise a number of distinct social, ethical and political issues. This review will consider some proposed uses of heritable human genome editing (HHGE) and several of the objections to these that have been raised. Making sense of such proposed uses requires viewing HHGE as an assisted reproductive technology (ART) that, like preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT), aims to prevent disease transmission during sexual reproduction, rather than acting as a therapy for an existing individual. Applications beyond the paradigm of disease prevention raise even more difficult scientific and ethical questions. Here, I will discuss various themes that are prominent in discussions of the science and ethics of HHGE, including impacts on human dignity and society, the language of HHGE used for public dialogue and the governance of HHGE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Greenfield
- MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
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25
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Adashi EY, Burgess MM, Burall S, Cohen IG, Fleck LM, Harris J, Holm S, Lafont C, Moreno JD, Neblo MA, Niemeyer SJ, Rowe EJ, Scheufele DA, Tetsa PF, Vayena E, Watermeyer RP, Fung A. Heritable Human Genome Editing: The Public Engagement Imperative. CRISPR J 2020; 3:434-439. [PMID: 33346718 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the view of many, heritable human genome editing (HHGE) harbors the remedial potential of ridding the world of deadly genetic diseases. A Hippocratic obligation, if there ever was one, HHGE is widely viewed as a life-sustaining proposition. The national go/no-go decision regarding the implementation of HHGE, however, must not, in the collective view of the authors, proceed absent thorough public engagement. A comparable call for an "extensive societal dialogue" was recently issued by the International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing. In this communication, the authors lay out the foundational principles undergirding the formation, modification, and evaluation of public opinion. It is against this backdrop that the societal decision to warrant or enjoin the clinical conduct of HHGE will doubtlessly transpire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Y Adashi
- Department of Medical Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Michael M Burgess
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - I Glenn Cohen
- Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Leonard M Fleck
- Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - John Harris
- Department of Bioethics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Soren Holm
- Department of Bioethics, Manchester University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Lafont
- Department of Philosophy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Jonathan D Moreno
- Departments of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, History and Sociology of Science, and Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael A Neblo
- Department of Political Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Simon J Niemeyer
- Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | | | - Dietram A Scheufele
- Department of Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Paul F Tetsa
- Department of Political Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Effy Vayena
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Archon Fung
- Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Baylis
- Department of Philosophy and Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Marcy Darnovsky
- Center for Genetics and Society, Berkeley, California, USA; and Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Katie Hasson
- Center for Genetics and Society, Berkeley, California, USA; and Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Timothy M. Krahn
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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