基因数据库:个人选择和社会利益

引言 2003年6月6日出版的<科学>杂志上有一个关于建立美国黑人基因库的建议.这一建议希望在五年内采集25000个志愿者的DNA样品,以"有助于从各种因素中区分基因差异和社会经济或其他环境因素对美国黑人疾病的影响".同时希望这一研究可以改变Tuskegee梅毒试验以来美国黑人对医学研究的不信任.正如这篇文章指出的,种族差异在医学伦理和政策中所起的作用是有争议的,因为同一种族不同个体之间的差异要比不同种族间的差异大得多.这支持了种族间疾病发生率的不同可能主要受社会经济因素如种族歧视的影响的观点.然而生物数据库可以使我们获得关于基因和环境因素的更有说服力的数据.

Ethical issues in geneticaly modified organisms

Genetically modified organisms, as a high-tech product, break through the limitation of different organisms and create new organisms through gene implanting from other kinds of organisms. They not only bring great benefits to human beings but also bring some ethical issues including the effect on environment,the effect on human health,and the respect to hatural law.Moreover,this article argues some ethical issues during the process of commercialization and sale including how to maintain the consumers' benefits,the protection on researchers through potent right,the precautionary principle and label issues.