Regulating embryo models in the UK – Journal of Law and the Biosciences

Posted July 25th, 2024 in embryology, genetic testing, human tissue, news by sally

‘One of this century’s most dramatic scientific developments is the reprogramming of stem cells in order to create self-organizing embryo-like entities, known as stem cell based embryo models (SCBEMs). The science is moving very quickly, but if, as increasingly appears to be the case, scientists are capable of creating entities that are effectively indistinguishable from sperm and egg derived embryos, important legal questions arise. In countries like the UK, where a strict regulatory regime applies to research on embryos, should this be extended to SCBEM research, or would a different regulatory response be appropriate? Drawing on the 1984 Warnock Report, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 and the latest guidelines from the International Society for Stem Cell Research, this article considers principles for the regulation of the creation and use of SCBEMs.’

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Journal of Law and the Biosciences, 18th July 2024

Source: academic.oup.com

Genetic testing company 23andMe investigated over hack that hit 7m users – The Guardian

Posted June 11th, 2024 in data protection, genetic testing, health, news by tracey

‘The California genetic testing company 23andMe faces investigations by the data watchdogs of the UK and Canada over a security breach affecting nearly 7 million people last October.’

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The Guardian, 11th June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘I was in a coma and my DNA was taken without consent’ – BBC News

Posted June 6th, 2024 in compensation, consent, DNA, genetic testing, hospitals, news by sally

‘A hospital has paid £3,000 in compensation after failing to follow its own protocol to get consent to take a patient’s DNA.’

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BBC News, 5th June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 27th, 2023 in benefits, genetic testing, international trade, legislation by tracey

2023 c. 9 – Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Act 2023

2023 c. 7 – Social Security (Additional Payments) Act 2023

2023 c. 6 – Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023

2023 c. 5 – Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2023

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Doctor/patient confidentiality in genetic disease case – UK Human Rights Blog

‘ABC v St George’s Healthcare Trust and others [2020] EWHC 455 (QB). The High Court has ruled that the health authorities owed a duty of care to the daughter of their patient who suffered from the hereditary neurodegenerative order Huntington’s Chorea, to inform her about his condition. But in the circumstances, Yip J concluded that the duty was not breached and that causation had not been established.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th February 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Duty of care in genomic medicine: who is liable? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 4th, 2017 in doctors, duty of care, genetic testing, medical ethics, news, third parties by sally

‘Clinical Genetics is a field of medicine concerned with the probability of an indvidual’s condition having an hereditary basis. The journal Medical Law International has just published an article about the scope of potential duties of care owed by specialists in this field to people with heritable diseases. The authors draw out the features of genomic medicine that open the door to new liabilities; a potential duty owed by clinicians to third party family members, and another legal relationship that may be drawn between researchers and patients.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 3rd September 2017

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judge allows paternity test for DNA disease analysis – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 22nd, 2016 in cancer, DNA, family courts, genetic testing, human tissue, news, paternity by tracey

‘Spencer v Anderson (Paternity Testing) [2016] EWHC 851 (Fam). A fascinating case in the Family Division throws up a number of facts that some may find surprising. One is that this is the first time the courts in this country have been asked to direct post-mortem scientific testing to establish paternity. The other is that DNA is not covered by the Human Tissue Act, because genetic material does not contain human cells. One might wonder why the statute doesn’t, given that DNA is the instruction manual that makes the human tissue that it covers – but maybe updating the 2004 law to cover genetic material would create more difficulties than it was designed to resolve.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 20th April 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Down the Rabbit Hole of Genetic Testing – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The explosion of genetic testing in the last half century has produced unquantifiable benefits, allowing scientists to understand the constitution of genetic disorders and dramatically improve disease diagnosis, avoidance and treatment. Consider the near-eradication of Tay-Sachs, a fatal neurodegenerative disease, since the introduction of screening in the 1970s; the standardisation of newborn testing; and the introduction of BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing for inherited cancer genes.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 19th April 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Genetic testing of children up for adoption – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 29th, 2013 in adoption, children, genetic testing, medical ethics, news by tracey

“Y and Z (Children), 25 April 2013 [2013] EWHC 953 (Fam). Having children is a lottery. No judge or court in the land would sanction the regulation of childbearing, however feckless the parents, unsuitable the conditions for childrearing, or unpromising the genetic inheritance. Adoption on the other hand is stringently regulated, set about with obstacles for prospective parents, and strictly scrutinised by an army of authorities backed up by specialist family courts and a battery of laws, statutory instruments and guidance papers. Usually the filtering is in one direction only: the suitability of the parents to the child or children up for adoption. But sometimes it goes the other way, and this case raises the fascinating and somewhat futuristic question of whether children’s chance of finding a suitable home might be increased by genetic testing.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Fine tuning medical diagnoses to rare genetic disorders – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 11th, 2013 in consent, DNA, genetic testing, medical treatment, negligence, news by sally

“There is no doubt that medical diagnosis and therapy are struggling to keep pace with the genetic information pouring out of the laboratories and sequencing centres. And the issue of medical liability is being stretched on the rack between conventional treatment and the potential for personalised therapy. Treatment of disease often turns out to be different, depending on which gene mutation has triggered the disorder. However fine tuned the diagnosis, it may turn out to be profoundly wrong in the light of subsequent discoveries.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 9th March 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

FSA to ask consumers how much horsemeat they will accept in their food – The Guardian

Posted March 6th, 2013 in consumer protection, food, genetic testing, news by sally

“Consumers are to be asked whether they will accept traces of horsemeat in their food if it proves too costly and technically difficult to check thoroughly for levels of contamination under 1%.”

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The Guardian, 5th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Should we outlaw genetic discrimination? – UK Human Rights Blog

“Earlier this month the Association of British Insurers announced the latest extension on the moratorium on the use of genetic test results for insurance purposes. But is this ‘Concordat’ sufficient protection? Genetic technologies are becoming increasingly available and profound questions are arising in relation to life and health insurance and employability as genetic screening becomes cheaper and widespread.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 9th May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Equality Bill seeks to ban genetic discrimination – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 14th, 2007 in disability discrimination, DNA, genetic testing, news by sally

“A ‘landmark’ measure to outlaw unfair genetic discrimination should be included in a new Equality Bill, the country’s leading human DNA watchdog will say tomorrow.”

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Daily Telegraph, 13th September 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk