In this section (www.bioethics.gr/) we have compiled the main legislative texts, as well as important court decisions on bioethics issues.
In the “legislation” section, in addition to the legislative texts that are already part of our positive law, we have included some which, although they have not been incorporated into the Greek legal order, are particularly important.
We have classified these texts thematically, according to their field of application, for the convenience of visitors to our website. Of general interest is the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. In the “case law” section we gather the most typical decisions of national courts (mainly supreme courts), as well as of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Communities, which are of direct interest to our country. The links refer, as far as possible, to the official texts of the decisions.

Subcategories
On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the National Bioethics Committee organised a conference on Friday 14 June at the Senate Chamber of the Parliament, under the auspices of the President of the Republic. The theme of the conference was: “Human value and commercialization of the body. The bioethical challenge in the 21st century”.
The President of the Committee, Mrs. Eleni Rethymiotaki, An. In her introductory speech, after referring to the multifaceted work of the Commission during the 20 years of its existence, she stressed the timeliness of the conference topic, given the development of technology and the direct interest of the economy in the field of modern biomedicine.
In the keynote speech, Council of Europe representative Dr Katrin Uerpmann presented the general framework of the international organisation’s activities to protect the human body from unfair commercialisation practices.
The critical ethical, social and legal issues raised in this regard, in areas such as transplantation, assisted reproduction, stem cell banking, clinical trials of drugs, genetic testing, patents in biotechnology, etc. were presented by renowned speakers with international academic and research experience.
The conference closed with an honorary speech by the President of the Republic, under the title:
“The constitutional safeguarding of the value of Man and its implications for Bioethics”.
The broad participation of the audience, coming from different scientific disciplines, especially young scientists and researchers, is an indication of the strong interest in the harmonisation of the fundamental values of a modern society with the development of science and technology. This work has been undertaken primarily by bioethics committees at world level.

PUBLICATIONS

PRESS RELEASE Marina Skarveli – Stagiare EEB
INTRODUCTION OF THE HUMAN BRAIN INTO A MONKEY

During a study at the Kunming Institute of Zoology in Northwest China, researchers inserted the human MCPH1 gene into the genome of rhesus monkeys to study genetic mechanisms responsible for human brain development.

The MCPH1 gene, a human gene responsible for encoding a DNA damage response protein, is inserted into the monkey genome during the embryonic stages of development using a viral vector, creating transgenic animals suitable for this study.

The introduction of this gene into the brain of these monkeys gave positive results with respect to the objectives of the study. The research was carried out in eleven monkey embryos, five of which survived long enough for cognitive function tests to be performed on them. Although the transgenic animals did not show increased brain size, they did show a time lag in brain development, typical of human brain development, and enhanced short-term memory compared to control animals.

Professor Su of the Kunming Institute says this research may be useful for understanding and treating neurological diseases, such as autism, which are caused by abnormal human brain development. In addition, mutations of this gene (MCPH1) in humans result in mental retardation and developmental delay. However, such research raises ethical questions regarding the use of primates in research, to protect these animals and to control the consequences of creating transgenic organisms that do not already exist in the natural environment.

Already since 2004, changes relating to the ‘dignity of living beings’ have been included in the Swiss constitution, particularly in relation to transgenic experimentation on living beings. Similar provisions have existed in various countries, as well as in European law, such as the European Parliament’s declaration on the use of primates in scientific experiments.

Furthermore, due to their genetic proximity to humans and their highly developed social skills, the use of non-human primates in experiments also raises practical problems in relation to meeting their environmental and social needs in a laboratory environment.

Source: Bionews
Marina Scarvelli – Stagiare EEB

PUBLICATION Stamatia Halimourda – Stagiaire EEB

The production of immunoglobulins was banned in the UK in the 1990s. The ban is still in force today. Eight-year-old Megan Steadman’s immune system is identical to that of a newborn. She therefore needs to be boosted with a special treatment derived from blood plasma.

However, the production of immunoglobulins was banned in the UK in the 1990s because of fears about the potential spread of ‘mad cow disease’ to humans. The ban is still in place today, but there are calls from patient groups for a review of the ban. The UK government has stated that it is working to address this issue.

Large quantities of plasma are required for this treatment, which will be used in people with compromised immune systems. Megan is one of 5,000 people in the UK who suffer from a rare disease known as primary immune deficiency. Last year she underwent stem cell transplants, which boosted the family’s hopes that a cure for the condition would arrive, but now her life depends on systemic injections of immunoglobulins. Her mother, Victoria Stoneman, said without the treatment Megan may not be able to fight off infections.

Immunoglobulins are extracted from plasma through a process called fractionation, which requires thousands of units of plasma, donated by a large group of people, to produce a single vial. Scientists have reservations, as only one donor was infected with the human form of the deadly disease – a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) – and could have contaminated an entire batch of immunoglobulins. Since then all plasma supplies have been imported from other countries.

Pharmaceutical companies say they will continue to make sure there is enough immunoglobulin for all patients suffering from immune deficiency, however in the long run we ought to be able to produce our own.

Source: BBC
Stamatia Halimourda – Stagiaire EEB