Obtaining Valid Consent For Doing Large Genetic Studies In Developing Countries

Main Category: Genetics
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines;  HIV / AIDS;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 27 Apr 2007 - 16:00 PDT

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Genetic research has the potential to improve global health by discovering what makes people susceptible or resistant to certain diseases, and what causes the diseases themselves, thereby guiding prevention efforts. Genetic studies, for example, are providing clues for scientists working on vaccines against HIV, malaria, and TB. But it is crucial, say Dave Chokshi (Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford) and colleagues in a policy paper in PLoS Medicine, to ensure that those who choose to participate in such research have given their fully informed consent.

While there has been much discussion setting out ethical principles for conducting medical research in low-income countries, there has been little discussion of how to apply these principles to large-scale genomic studies. The authors lay out a new set of ethical principles for obtaining ethically valid consent for such studies conducted in the developing world.

Citation: Chokshi DA, Thera MA, Parker M, Diakite M, Makani J, et al. (2007) Valid consent for genomic epidemiology in developing countries. PLoS Med 4(4): e95.

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CONTACT:

Dave Chokshi
University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine
3434 Sansom St.
Philadelphia, PA PA 19104
United States of America

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A case of unstable blood pressure

Ronald Ma and colleagues discuss the work-up and treatment of a patient who presented with recurrent episodes of chest discomfort, palpitations, and unstable blood pressure.

Citation: Ma RCW, Yiu KH, Wong EHC, Liu KH, Chan JYS, et al. (2007) A man with labile blood pressure. PLoS Med 4(4): e111.

PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT

CONTACT:

Ronald Ma
Prince of Wales Hospital
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics
30-32 Ngan Shing Street
Shatin, New Territories
Hong Kong
China

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Contact: Andrew Hyde
Public Library of Science

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