Research Library

The "molecular autopsy," or the collection of blood and tissue for DNA analysis, is an increasingly pervasive tool in investigating sudden death in the young. The authors offer recommendations that address ethical and policy issues that arise when molecular autopsies are conducted as part of a death investigation by medical examiner or coroner offices.

This study assesses the attitudes of women in Jordanian maternity clinics with regard to CB banking and transplantation.

The second largest percentage of new HIV infections in the United States occurs among people aged 13 to 24 years old. Yet very few state minor consent laws explicitly authorize adolescents to consent to preventive services for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections without parental permission.

This journal article examines the risks patients face in seeking experimental stem cell-based interventions from clinics outside the United States. The authors advocate for new public policies that encourage patients to remain in clinical trials in the U.S.

While the Food and Drug Administration currently regulates storage and use of cord blood (CB) in the United States, other state and federal guidelines on CB education, awareness and ethical considerations remain variable, and no mandatory international guidelines exist. To help organize and coordinate efforts across the United States and other nations, policymakers should implement regulations for high quality standards for both private and public CB banks.

In addition to their therapeutic potential, cord blood banks raise ethical and regulatory questions, especially in emerging markets in the Arab world. In this article, the authors review cord blood banking in five countries in the region (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) that were selected for their different CB banking policies and initiatives.

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Oft-mentioned in the lore of U.S. intelligence is…

This study assesses the state of stem cell research in the Greater Middle East, reports on the policy and ethical considerations facing the region, and determines the impact of international research collaborations in this area.