Applied Medical Informatics 2002;11(3-4): 73-79.
Ethical Aspects of Genome Research and Banking
Neamţu Mădălina
Dept. of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Iuliu Haţieganu” Cluj-Napoca
Abstract
Genetic research increasingly used to cover a wide range of research activities. These activities extend from classical research into diseases following Mendelian patterns, to the search for genetic risk factors in common diseases, to the more recent interest in pharmacogenomics and finally, to the actual need for studies of normal genetic variation across entire populations. This all encompassing nature of the term genetic research would not be so problematic were it not for the fact that corresponding distinctions may not in fact be applied in the ethical norms applied to evaluate such research. In order to address this issue, we need to understand the ethical aspects of the different types of genetic research. (Knoppers, 1999).
Keywords: Genetic research; Mendelian patterns; Ethical aspects.