It’s not always clear where human organs come from in research papers. Piron Guillaume/unsplash

Whose hearts, livers and lungs are transplanted in China? Origins must be clear in human organ research

International standards ban publication of research that involves any biological material from executed prisoners, that lacks human research ethics committee approval and that lacks consent of donors.
Aborting a foetus just because of its sex seems repugnant to most of us. Shutterstock

What should we do about sex‑selective abortion?

A Melbourne doctor is being investigated by the medical professional standards body for refusing to refer a woman to another GP after she sought an abortion. The case raises important questions about doctors…
Doctors are not morally obliged to ensure patients follow their advice. Image from shutterstock.com

Drawing the line on doctors’ responsibility for patients

The NSW Supreme Court decision to overturn damages awarded to an obese man whose doctor failed to refer him for specialist care to help him lose weight has been widely welcomed by medical and legal experts…
Doctors give a patient a new trachea made from a synthetic scaffold seeded with his own stem cells. EPA/Karolinksa University Hospital

Lab‑made organs could offer a solution to donor shortage

Scientists say they have developed a way to use a patient’s own stem cells to build fully functional organs in a laboratory, in a potential solution to the global donor shortage crisis. The technique involves…
Families need to discuss organ donations so they don’t withdraw consent after death. Muffet/Flickr

Free funerals for organ donors: are donation incentives unethical?

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics in the United Kingdom has suggested a scheme to gauge support for the idea of government funding for funerals of people who donate their organs. The recommendation follows…

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