Medical Biotechnology in Society
Abstract
This chapter provides relevant scientific and historical information relating to genetic testing and human embryonic stem (hES) cell therapies and describes some of the societal issues surrounding them. The risks of invasive diagnostic tests that require physicians to remove tissue samples are obvious, as are those based on X rays and injected dyes, radioactive molecules, or other imaging agents. Greater availability of gene-based diagnostic tests, made possible by the Human Genome Project (HGP), carries with it the same problems shared by all diagnostic tests. Genetic information differs from clinical measures because sometimes genes shed light on future health problems. The results of genetic tests might allow physicians to predict the possible appearance of cardiovascular or lung disease in the absence of any clinical symptoms. Using factual information and specific language in discussions of complex technical issues is always important; both become even more essential if the topic elicits strong emotional feelings about moral issues. Human embryonic cells have the potential to treat a variety of serious diseases, but some people find the derivation of embryonic cell lines to be ethically troubling. Government policies influence the direction of scientific research through funding, laws, and policies that encourage some types of research and restrict others. By directing the course of scientific inquiry, governments determine which medical advances occur.