Xenotransplantation in the Age of Genome Editing: Results From the Expert Report for the Federal Ethics Committee on Nonhuman Biotechnology With a Special Focus on Animal Ethics.
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Abstract
Background: The Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology (ECNH) of Switzerland is an independent expert committee appointed by the Federal Council and mandated to advise the federal authorities from an ethical perspective in the field of nonhuman biotechnology and gene technology. Due to recent developments in the field of xenotransplantation after the introduction of genome editing technologies, the ECNH has commissioned an expert report on the ethical questions of xenotransplantation with a focus on animal ethics. The subject of the inquiry is, in particular, if current developments in the field of xenotransplantation raise new questions regarding ethics in the nonhuman realm or if existing questions have to be re-examined and answered anew.
Methods: An interdisciplinary approach was applied to answer this question. Based on the latest empirical results from medicine and biotechnology, xenotransplantation is analyzed and evaluated with reference to the dignity of the creature (Würde der Kreatur)-which is defined in the Swiss Federal Constitution-and the dignity of animals (Tierwürde) that is stipulated in the Swiss Animal Welfare Act and the Federal Act on Non-Human Gene Technology, as well as contemporary positions in the ethics of the human-animal relationship.
Results: The report concludes that genome editing for xenotransplantation does not generate any qualitatively new ethical issues concerning ethics in the nonhuman realm. However, contemporary biotechnological developments must be taken as an opportunity to discuss existing ethical issues in an urgent and intensified manner, particularly regarding the significance of animals' moral standing. The lack of consideration of animal-related aspects and the neglect of current developments and the state of the art of animal ethics in the recent discussion about xenotransplantation is a scientific, ethical, and political issue because animals are most negatively affected by xenotransplantation. This is especially relevant because the contemporary state of the art in animal ethics tends to consider and protect animals more strongly than in the past.
背景:瑞士非人类生物技术联邦伦理委员会(ECNH)是一个由联邦委员会任命的独立专家委员会,其任务是从伦理角度向联邦当局提供非人类生物技术和基因技术领域的建议。由于引入基因组编辑技术后异种移植领域的最新发展,ECNH委托撰写了一份关于异种移植伦理问题的专家报告,重点关注动物伦理。调查的主题是,特别是,如果在异种移植领域的当前发展提出了新的问题,关于非人类领域的伦理,或者如果现有的问题必须重新审视和回答。方法:采用跨学科的方法来回答这个问题。基于医学和生物技术的最新实证结果,异种移植的分析和评估参照了生物的尊严(w rde der Kreatur)——这是在瑞士联邦宪法中定义的——和动物的尊严(tierw rde)——这是在瑞士动物福利法和联邦非人类基因技术法案中规定的,以及当代人与动物关系的伦理立场。结果:该报告得出结论,针对异种移植的基因组编辑不会在非人类领域产生任何定性的新伦理问题。然而,当代生物技术的发展必须作为一个机会,以紧急和加强的方式讨论现有的伦理问题,特别是关于动物道德地位的重要性。在最近关于异种移植的讨论中,缺乏对动物相关方面的考虑,忽视了当前的发展和动物伦理学的现状,这是一个科学、伦理和政治问题,因为动物最容易受到异种移植的负面影响。这是特别相关的,因为当代动物伦理的艺术状态往往比过去更强烈地考虑和保护动物。
期刊介绍:
Xenotransplantation provides its readership with rapid communication of new findings in the field of organ and tissue transplantation across species barriers.The journal is not only of interest to those whose primary area is xenotransplantation, but also to veterinarians, microbiologists and geneticists. It also investigates and reports on the controversial theological, ethical, legal and psychological implications of xenotransplantation.