Eduardo Rodríguez Yunta

Comités de evaluación ética y científica para la investigación en seres humanos y las pautas CIOMS 2002

The present paper tries to be a reflection and guide for the evaluation of research proposals involving human beings by ethical review committees, considering the Latin American context, as presented by CIOMS Guidelines 2002, recently translated into Spanish by the Bioethics Unit of the Pan American Health Organization. Recommendations for review are presented according to the ethical requirements for research involving human beings proposed by Ezequiel Emanuel: Value, scientific validity, fair subject selection, favorable risk-benefit selection, independent review, informed consent, respect for enrolled subjects.Resumen es: El presente articulo pretende ser una reflexion y guia para el trabajo de evaluacion de protocolos de investigacion en seres humanos que deben realizar l...

ÉTICA DE LA INVESTIGACIÓN EN MODELOS ANIMALES DE ENFERMEDADES HUMANAS

This paper argues about the ethical implications of using animals as models for human medicine development. This reflection adopts an intermediate stand between the extreme positions of condemning all research with animal considering it irrelevant, and that of exaggerating and promoting research with animals as models for human diseases. Our stand considers that in the current scientific state, reseach with animals is necessary for adjusting to the moral imperative of curing and preventing human diseases, but methods for replacing and reducing the number of animals as well as diminishing their suffering must be sought.

TEMAS PARA UNA BIOÉTICA LATINOAMERICANA

The present work considers the philosophical basis of bioethics as a discipline, method and movement from its historical context, and proposes bioethical themes in relation with the social and cultural context of life in Latin American.

Attitudes towards genomic: Research in four Latin American countries

The present reflection refers to data obtained about the social representations of genomic research and its applications through interviews with legislators and lawyers, biomedical researchers and civilians and the review of scientific and legal literature in four Latin American countries: Argentine, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Several issues are addressed: little access to prevention and therapeutic methods, lack of equity in health benefits, commercialization of gene sequences through patents which leads to commercial exploitation of underdeveloped countries, the possibility of physical or psychological damage or genetic discrimination, the possibility of genetic modifications or abortion for eugenic reasons, the necessity of safeguarding confidentiality, risks and benefits of the use of transgenics and cloning, the necessity of legal regulation to prevent the pathway towards genetic enhancement or reproductive human cloning and of regulating access to genetic information. Using the method of content analysis of verbal behaviour to evaluate the degree of anxiety and hostility of subjects in relation to the Human Genome Project (HGP) developed by Gottschalk and Gleser, an inverse relation between levels of anxiety and level of knowledge was observed which highlights the importance of educating the population. Differences in the level of hostility towards the HGP were also found among the groups.

Etnoconocimiento en latinoamérica. Apropiación de recursos genéticos y bioética

En este documento se argumenta la importancia que tiene considerar los conocimientos tradicionales indigenas o etnoconocimiento. Las industrias farmaceuticas y las empresas biotecnologicas tienen gran interes en ello por la posibilidad real de encontrar, dentro de la diversidad biologica, nuevos productos activos en el campo de la salud y nuevos genes con propiedades para mejoria de la alimentacion. Se usa esta informacion sin reconocer su origen ni compensar a la poblacion indigena por su obtencion. Nos encontramos en un momento en el cual, por un lado, las leyes no contribuyen a su proteccion y, por otro, cada vez se alejan mas las posibilidades de llegar a conocer las formas como han sido historicamente utilizadas las plantas medicinales por los chamanes o las machis de los pueblos latinoamericanos

Terapia génica y principios éticos

Gene therapy is a form of genetic manipulation which tries to correct or to diminish the effects caused by genetic diseases. There are great hopes for the de...Gene therapy is a form of genetic manipulation which tries to correct or to diminish the effects caused by genetic diseases. There are great hopes for the development of this type of therapy, specially for somatic genetic diseases that has no cure, but there are many technical difficulties which are not yet solved. It has not yet been shown clinical efficacy and the technique may cause irreversible damages in the organism. On one hand, it is considered necessary to establish regulatory mechanisms to avoid possible abuse and the research protocols must be strictly analyzed by ethical and scientific review committees. On the other hand, at the international level, it is necessary a dialogue between nations in order not to present gene therapy in the market as a successful technique, without mentioning all the technical difficulties. One of the major concerns consists in that the gradual acceptance of this technique and the removal of restrictions may lead to the use of germ gene therapy and genetic enhancement, whose ethical validity is questionable. The use of germ gene therapy carries the risk of introducing genetic damages in posterior generations.

Desafíos éticos de la manipulación genética y la investigación con animales

Research with animals presents ethical questions both for being used as models of human diseases and for being a prerequisite for trials in humans, as in the introduction of genetic modifications. Some of these questions refer to the fact that, as models, they do not fully represent the human condition; that conducting toxicity tests causes great harm to animals; that their nature is altered by genetic modifications and that introducing genetically modified organisms is a risk. The use of animals in research for the benefit of humans imposes the moral responsibility to respect them, not making them suffer unnecessarily, since they are living beings capable of feeling.

Cultura ética e investigación en salud

This paper argues about the importance of developing an ethical culture, particularly in developing countries, so that international health research would be carried out ethically; and about the role of bioethics exercising a transdisciplinary dialogue in the analysis of social context and in promoting equity in both the selection of research subjects and the distribution of research benefits.This paper argues about the importance of developing an ethical culture, particularly in developing countries, so that international health research would be...

Temas éticos en investigación internacional con alimentos transgénicos

El presente articulo reflexiona sobre los problemas eticos que se generan socialmente por la produccion y el uso de alimentos transgenicos o geneticamente modificados obtenidos por la biotecnologia, como: los intereses comerciales que guian esta nueva tecnologia, los riesgos ecologicos y para la salud humana, y la posibilidad de introducir nuevas plagas. Cada pais debe buscar su propia forma de regularizar el tema de los alimentos transgenicos para evitar abusos por empresas transnacionales, evitar riesgos y proteger sectores vulnerables de la agricultura y ganaderia. Se propone la forma de dialogo bioetico para poner en la balanza los sectores que apoyan o rechazan la produccion y el uso de organismos geneticamente modificados para alimentacion, clarificando los datos con ayuda de la ciencia y fomentando la libre informacion para un ambiente adecuado de posible desarrollo de esta tecnologia en el contexto de cada pais y comunidad.This article reflects about the ethical issues generated in society by the production and use of transgenic or ge - netically modified food manufactured by biotechnology, such as: the commercial interests that guide this new technology, ecological risks, risks to human health, the possibility of introducing new plagues. Each country must regularize all aspects related to transgenic food in order to avoid risks and abuses by transnational companies and in order to protect vulnerable sectors of agriculture and livestock. Bioethical dialogue is proposed to balance both proponents, those who reject and those who support the production and use of genetically modified organisms for food, clarifying data with the help of science and promoting free information for an adequate environment for the possible development of this technology in the context of each country and community.

Ethical topics in international research with transgenic food

El presente articulo reflexiona sobre los problemas eticos que se generan socialmente por la produccion y el uso de alimentos transgenicos o geneticamente modificados obtenidos por la biotecnologia, como: los intereses comerciales que guian esta nueva tecnologia, los riesgos ecologicos y para la salud humana, y la posibilidad de introducir nuevas plagas. Cada pais debe buscar su propia forma de regularizar el tema de los alimentos transgenicos para evitar abusos por empresas transnacionales, evitar riesgos y proteger sectores vulnerables de la agricultura y ganaderia. Se propone la forma de dialogo bioetico para poner en la balanza los sectores que apoyan o rechazan la produccion y el uso de organismos geneticamente modificados para alimentacion, clarificando los datos con ayuda de la ciencia y fomentando la libre informacion para un ambiente adecuado de posible desarrollo de esta tecnologia en el contexto de cada pais y comunidad.This article reflects about the ethical issues generated in society by the production and use of transgenic or ge - netically modified food manufactured by biotechnology, such as: the commercial interests that guide this new technology, ecological risks, risks to human health, the possibility of introducing new plagues. Each country must regularize all aspects related to transgenic food in order to avoid risks and abuses by transnational companies and in order to protect vulnerable sectors of agriculture and livestock. Bioethical dialogue is proposed to balance both proponents, those who reject and those who support the production and use of genetically modified organisms for food, clarifying data with the help of science and promoting free information for an adequate environment for the possible development of this technology in the context of each country and community.