This volume examines the impact of advances in genetics and assisted reproduction technologies on family law, human rights and the rights of the child, including the effects of international treaties on national legislation. It surveys the theoretical, ethical and legal discussions with regard to biotechnology and family law issues and the search for a balance between safeguarding respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the need to ensure freedom of research. However, biotechnology impinges not only on isolated individuals and their rights, but also on unborn children, the family as a network of living relationships and the basic structure of any society, as well as the foundation of parentage and kinship, social organization as a whole and, finally, mankind itself. As the attention of the World turns to cloning, this book will contribute to the search for a balance between the rights and freedoms of born and yet to be born human beings and the quest for new technologies.

This book addresses the pressing issues involved with the ethical conduct of research in one developing world region – the Arab Region. Clinical research has soared in the developing world -as pharmaceutical companies continue their search for regions with large, treatment naive populations - including the Arab region, and has profound implications for the health and the economies for the area. The ethical issues involved with the conduct of such research, however, have so far not been adequately addressed. This volume presents the issues regarding research ethics and research governance that have relevance for health authorities, regulators, industry, and academia. As a multi-authored volume it includes both international and local experts on ethical issues in research, representing all stakeholders, thus presenting a balanced view on this timely topic.

Applied Genomics and Public Health examines the interdisciplinary and growing area of how evidence-based genomic knowledge can be applied to public health, population health, healthcare and health policies. The book gathers experts from a variety of disciplines, including life sciences, social sciences, and health care to develop a comprehensive overview of the field. In addition, the book delves into subjects such as pharmacogenomics, genethics, big data, data translation and analysis, economic evaluation, genomic awareness and education, sociology, pricing and reimbursement, policy measures and economic evaluation in genomic medicine. This book is essential reading for researchers and students exploring applications of genomics to population and public health. In addition, it is ideal for those in the biomedical sciences, medical sociologists, healthcare professionals, nurses, regulatory bodies and health economists interested in learning more about this growing field. Explores the growing application of genomics to population and public health Features internationally renowned contributors from a variety of related fields Contains chapters on important topics such as genomic data sharing, genethics and public health genomics, genomics and sociology, and regulatory aspects of genomic medicine and pharmacogenomics

People have always sought medical care that is tailored to every individual patient. Alongside with the historical development of institutions of care, the vision of personal and 'holistic' care persisted. Patient-centred medicine, interpersonal communication and shared decision making have become central to medical practice and services. This evolving vision of 'personalized medicine' is in the forefront of medicine, creating debates among ethicists, philosophers and sociologists of medicine about the nature of disease and the definition of wellness, the impact on the daily life of patients, as well as its implications on low-income countries. Is increased 'precision' also an improvement on the personal aspects of care or erosion of privacy? Do 'precise' and 'personalized' approach marginalize public health, and can this care be personalized without attention to culture, economy and society? The book provides a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary discussion of the ethos and ethics of precision/personal medicine, involving scientists who have shaped the field, in dialogue with ethicists, social scientists and philosophers of science. The contributing scholars come from all over the world and from different cultural backgrounds providing reflective perspectives of history of ideas, critical theory and technology assessment, together with the actual work done by pioneers in the field. It explores issues such as global justice, gender, public health, pharmaceutical industry, international law and religion, and explores themes discussed in relation to personalized medicine such as new-born screening and disorders of consciousness. This book will be of interest to academicians in bioethics, history of medicine, social sciences of medicine as well as general educated readers.

This book examines the technologies and processes for the development and commercial production of stem cells according to cGMP guidelines. The initial chapter of the book discusses the therapeutic potentials of stem cells for the treatment of various diseases, including degenerative disorders and genetic diseases. The book then reviews the recent developments in the cultivation of stem cells in bioreactors, including critical cultural parameters, possible bioreactor configuration and integrations of novel technologies in bioprocess developmental stages. The book also introduces microscopic, molecular, and cellular techniques for characterization of stem cells for regulatory approvals. Further, it describes optimal cell transporting conditions to maintain cell viability and properties. Further, it summarizes characterization strategies of clinical grade stem cells for stem cell therapy. This book is an invaluable contribution to having an academic and industrial understanding with respect to R&D and manufacturing of clinical grade stem cells.

This book examines the global influence and scope of medical tourism with an emphasis on the city of Kolkata in Eastern India as an emerging destination at the regional scale. Through a geographical research perspective, the book discusses the importance of the phenomenon of medical tourism including recent trends, policies, and scale studies to develop sustainable strategies for medical tourism at particular micro destinations. In nine chapters, readers will become familiar with the multi-billion dollar industry of medical tourism and the problems currently associated with medical tourism at multiple scales. The trends of medical tourism in and around the city of Kolkata are used to demonstrate the roles of infrastructure and stakeholders in implementing feasible and sustainable medical tourism in an emerging destination. The first two chapters of the book provide an introduction to medical tourism and the methodologies of this study. Then chapters three through nine focus on medical tourism in the case of Kolkata to discuss the regional applications and developments of medical tourism. Topics addressed include medical tourism facilities, stakeholders and tourists, guest-host relationships, an assessment of development versus risk, and an evaluation of strategies to manage rising medical tourism in Kolkata. The concluding chapter discusses future strategies that could be used to implement the potentialities of a metropolitan city as a medical tourism destination, based on studies done in Kolkata. Readers who will find this work of interest include students, practitioners, geographers, and researchers and policymakers engaged in the medical tourism industry.