Art meets science: The Cosmopolitan Chicken Research Project.

The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project is an artistic undertaking of renowned artist Koen Vanmechelen. In this project, the artist interbreeds domestic chickens from different countries aiming at the creation of a true Cosmopolitan Chicken as a symbol for global diversity. The unifying theme is the chicken and the egg, symbols that link scientific, political, philosophical and ethical issues.

Controversial identification in a historical case is illustrative of the complexity of DNA typing in forensic research. Response to Charlier et al.

The previously published genetic identification of presumptive samples attributed to two French kings, Henri IV and Louis XVI, by Charlier et al., was recently refuted by a genetic genealogic approach. This (provisional) refutation illustrates the difficulties in confirming the identification of historical DNA samples using limited genetic data.

The ethical introduction of genome-based information and technologies into public health.

With the human genome project running from 1989 until its completion in 2003, and the incredible advances in sequencing technology and in bioinformatics during the last decade, there has been a shift towards an increase focus on studying common complex disorders which develop due to the interplay of many different genes as well as environmental factors. Although some susceptibility genes have been identified in some populations for disorders such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the integration of this information into the health care system has proven to be much more problematic than for single gene disorders. Furthermore, with the 1000$ genome supposedly just around the corner, and whole genome sequencing gradually being integrated into research protocols as well as in the clinical context, there is a strong push for the uptake of additional genomic testing.

Chimeric beta-defensin analogs, including the novel 3NI analog, display salt-resistant antimicrobial activity and lack toxicity in human epithelial cell lines.

Human beta-defensins (hBDs) are crucial peptides for the innate immune response and are thus prime candidates as therapeutic agents directed against infective diseases. Based on the properties of wild-type hBD1 and hBD3 and of previously synthesized analogs (1C, 3I, and 3N), we have designed a new analog, 3NI, and investigated its potential as an antimicrobial drug. Specifically, we evaluated the antimicrobial activities of 3NI versus those of hBD1, hBD3, 1C, 3I, and 3N.

The wide variation of definitions of genetic testing in international recommendations, guidelines and reports.

In spite of being very commonly used, the term genetic testing is debatable and used with several meanings. The diversity of existing definitions is confusing for scientists, clinicians and other professionals, health authorities, legislators and regulating agencies and the civil society in general, particularly when genetic testing is the object of guidelines or legal documents. This work compares definitions of genetic testing found in recommendations, guidelines and reports from international institutions, policy makers and professional organizations, but also in documents from other stakeholders in the field, as the pharmaceutical industry, insurers, ethics bodies, patient organizations or human-rights associations.

Definitions of genetic testing in European legal documents.

The definition of "genetic testing" is not a simple matter, and the term is often used with different meanings. The purpose of this work was the collection and analysis of European (and other) legislation and policy instruments regarding genetic testing, to scrutinise the definitions of genetic testing therewith contained the following: 60 legal documents were identified and examined-55 national and five international ones. Documents were analysed for the type (context) of testing and the material tested and compared by legal fields (privacy and confidentiality, data protection, biobanks, insurance and labour law, forensic medicine); some instruments are very complex and deal with various legal fields at the same time.

A fair share for the orphans: ethical guidelines for a fair distribution of resources within the bounds of the 10-year-old European Orphan Drug Regulation.

For a significant number of patients, there exists no, or only little, interest in developing a treatment for their disease or condition. Especially with regard to rare diseases, the lack of commercial interest in drug development is a burning issue. Several interventions have been made in the regulatory field in order to address the commercial disinterest in these conditions.

Transcription factor Zic2 inhibits Wnt/β-catenin protein signaling.

The Zic transcription factors play critical roles during embryonic development. Mutations in the ZIC2 gene are associated with human holoprosencephaly, but the etiology is still unclear. Here, we report a novel function for ZIC2 as a regulator of β-catenin·TCF4-mediated transcription.

Community genetics. Its definition 2010.

This paper presents a definition of the medical field of community genetics. It starts with a brief historical overview, defines the requirements for an adequate definition, presents the definition, and discusses the constituent parts of the definition.

Children, biobanks and the scope of parental consent.

The use of stored tissue samples from children for genetic research raises specific ethical questions that are not all analogous to those raised when adult participants are concerned. These include issues with regard to consent, as it is typically a parent who consents to the use of samples from children. In this paper, we discuss the scope of parental consent.

The return of individual research findings in paediatric genetic research.

The combination of the issue of return of individual genetic results/incidental findings and paediatric biobanks is not much discussed in ethical literature. The traditional arguments pro and con return of such findings focus on principles such as respect for persons, autonomy and solidarity. Two dimensions have been distilled from the discussion on return of individual results in a genetic research context: the respect for a participant's autonomy and the duty of the researcher.

Genes that determine immunology and inflammation modify the basic defect of impaired ion conductance in cystic fibrosis epithelia.

Background: The cystic fibrosis (CF) basic defect, caused by dysfunction of the apical chloride channel CFTR in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract epithelia, has not been employed so far to support the role of CF modifier genes.

Methods: Patients were selected from 101 families with a total of 171 F508del-CFTR homozygous CF patients to identify CF modifying genes. A candidate gene based association study of 52 genes on 16 different chromosomes with a total of 182 genetic markers was performed.

The use of diagnostic collections of DNA for research: interviews at the eight Belgian centers for human genetics.

The attitudes towards the reuse for research of biological samples that were gathered in a diagnostics context have changed over the last years. A few decades ago, people would not hesitate to use such samples without explicit consent. Then, in conjunction with a move towards a stress to personal autonomy in bioethics, many would argue that written consent for such secondary use is necessary.

The medical geneticist as expert in the transgenerational and developmental aspects of diseases.

The increased knowledge of genetics has raised new questions, and confusion has been growing about the evaluation of the results of recent research and the role of geneticists in the genomic medicine. If we focus on transgenerational and developmental aspects of diseases, the answers might be more evident.

An exploratory survey of professionals on the use of stored tissue samples from minors for genetic research.

he ethical aspects of the use of stored tissue samples collected from minors are of topical interest. However, the views of professionals working in the field of genetics have not been investigated in depth anywhere. We conducted a survey among 194 such professionals in Belgium.