Ethics of Personalised Medicine: Importance of the Multidisciplinary Approach in KidneySign Project

Abstract

This article explores the ethical and societal issues in developing personalised medicine (PM) as part of the KidneySign project, which aims to mobilise translational big data to validate a proteomic signature of renal fibrosis with prognostic value. This research offers hope for improved management of chronic kidney disease, including diagnosis and treatment. This article examines how the human and social sciences can be mobilised within a biomedical research project to identify and prevent concomitant ethical, legal and social issues. This point of view defends a multidisciplinary approach to PM and artificial intelligence in medicine. Presenting theoretical and methodological contributions of social sciences in the case of KidneySign offers an opportunity to better understand the integration of these disciplines in biomedical research. It allows us to question the study protocol itself and to frame it through legal obligations, as well as potential legal consequences and challenges. Moreover, sociological assessments help identify key points and highlight the limits of the technophilic fantasy in the representations of patients and health professionals. The introduction of new technologies into medical research and practice requires special attention to ethics.