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Ethical considerations in crossing the xenobarrier

Mann, Sebastian Porsdam ; Sun, Rosa and Hermerén, Göran LU (2019) In Methods in Molecular Biology 2005. p.175-193
Abstract

Chimeras have been an important part of animal research for decades. Yet crossing the species barrier has always been seen as potentially morally problematic. In recent years, advances in chimeric research and the attendant possibilities—organ xenotransplantation, cognitive enhancement, and others—have given rise to further ethical concern. This contribution surveys the main ethical questions that have been discussed in the literature. We examine two arguments—from the order of nature and from human dignity—which aim to show that chimerization is inherently wrong. Finding the first untenable and the second largely inapplicable, we then turn to two unconvincing arguments designed to show that chimerization must necessarily lead to... (More)

Chimeras have been an important part of animal research for decades. Yet crossing the species barrier has always been seen as potentially morally problematic. In recent years, advances in chimeric research and the attendant possibilities—organ xenotransplantation, cognitive enhancement, and others—have given rise to further ethical concern. This contribution surveys the main ethical questions that have been discussed in the literature. We examine two arguments—from the order of nature and from human dignity—which aim to show that chimerization is inherently wrong. Finding the first untenable and the second largely inapplicable, we then turn to two unconvincing arguments designed to show that chimerization must necessarily lead to negative outcomes. Having thus found that no blanket statements can be made on the ethics of chimerization, we examine two important parameters relevant to the ethical evaluation of proposed chimeric research: The argument from moral status and from risk.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chimera, Chimeric ethics, Framework, Moral, Xenobarrier
host publication
Methods in Molecular Biology
series title
Methods in Molecular Biology
volume
2005
pages
19 pages
publisher
Humana Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85066995288
  • pmid:31175653
ISSN
1064-3745
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4939-9524-0_12
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
35e39683-162b-4a40-a5bd-6cececad3ee8
date added to LUP
2019-07-03 12:22:18
date last changed
2024-02-15 16:41:01
@inbook{35e39683-162b-4a40-a5bd-6cececad3ee8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Chimeras have been an important part of animal research for decades. Yet crossing the species barrier has always been seen as potentially morally problematic. In recent years, advances in chimeric research and the attendant possibilities—organ xenotransplantation, cognitive enhancement, and others—have given rise to further ethical concern. This contribution surveys the main ethical questions that have been discussed in the literature. We examine two arguments—from the order of nature and from human dignity—which aim to show that chimerization is inherently wrong. Finding the first untenable and the second largely inapplicable, we then turn to two unconvincing arguments designed to show that chimerization must necessarily lead to negative outcomes. Having thus found that no blanket statements can be made on the ethics of chimerization, we examine two important parameters relevant to the ethical evaluation of proposed chimeric research: The argument from moral status and from risk.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mann, Sebastian Porsdam and Sun, Rosa and Hermerén, Göran}},
  booktitle    = {{Methods in Molecular Biology}},
  issn         = {{1064-3745}},
  keywords     = {{Chimera; Chimeric ethics; Framework; Moral; Xenobarrier}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{175--193}},
  publisher    = {{Humana Press}},
  series       = {{Methods in Molecular Biology}},
  title        = {{Ethical considerations in crossing the xenobarrier}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9524-0_12}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-1-4939-9524-0_12}},
  volume       = {{2005}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}