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Team:UCL/Practice/Neuroethics
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<p class="minor_title">Why Look At Neuroethics?</p> | <p class="minor_title">Why Look At Neuroethics?</p> | ||
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| - | Our <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Project" target="_blank"> project</a> deals with an idea which may seem, on the face of it, frightening to some; the insertion of modified brain cells, <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Background/Microglia" target="_blank"> microglia</a>, to try and alleviate <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Background/Alzheimers" target="_blank"> Alzheimer's disease</a>. Although more similar to a macrophage than a neuron, engineering microglial cells represents both a scientific and an ethical challenge, not least because it seems like the stuff of <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Practice/Creative" target="_blank"> zombie B-movies</a>. In the interests of assessing the feasibility of the project in <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com | + | Our <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Project" target="_blank"> project</a> deals with an idea which may seem, on the face of it, frightening to some; the insertion of modified brain cells, <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Background/Microglia" target="_blank"> microglia</a>, to try and alleviate <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Background/Alzheimers" target="_blank"> Alzheimer's disease (AD)</a>. Although more similar to a macrophage than a neuron, engineering microglial cells represents both a scientific and an ethical challenge, not least because it seems like the stuff of <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UCL/Practice/Creative" target="_blank"> zombie B-movies</a>. After all, using microglia to halt the progression of AD, and therefore cognitive loss, by dissolving senile plaques is only one philosophical step (albeit very many scientific steps) from a genetic system for cognitive gain, so the implications of our project stretch past medical bioethics. In the interests of assessing the feasibility of the project in <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661304002955" target="_blank"> social terms</a>, we are producing this report dealing with the attitudes and <a href=http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v5/n11/full/nn1102-1123.html" target="_blank">neuroethics</a> of the potential use of neuro-genetic engineering in medicine,therapy and enhancement technology, as well as expounding a little on some of the scientific concepts behind various approaches. |
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Revision as of 16:14, 11 September 2013
THE NEUROETHICS REPORT
Why Look At Neuroethics?
Our project deals with an idea which may seem, on the face of it, frightening to some; the insertion of modified brain cells, microglia, to try and alleviate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although more similar to a macrophage than a neuron, engineering microglial cells represents both a scientific and an ethical challenge, not least because it seems like the stuff of zombie B-movies. After all, using microglia to halt the progression of AD, and therefore cognitive loss, by dissolving senile plaques is only one philosophical step (albeit very many scientific steps) from a genetic system for cognitive gain, so the implications of our project stretch past medical bioethics. In the interests of assessing the feasibility of the project in social terms, we are producing this report dealing with the attitudes and neuroethics of the potential use of neuro-genetic engineering in medicine,therapy and enhancement technology, as well as expounding a little on some of the scientific concepts behind various approaches.
The Essay
In a comprehensive report, team member Alexander Bates takes a look at the medical ethics, the neuroethics and both the plausible and fanciful neuroscientific applications of synthetic biology: PDF GOES HERE.
