Ethical issues in research on humans, or how new research questions are stretching our moral philosophies, but not to their limits

摘要

Research into neurodegenerative conditions presents its own unique set of scientific and moral challenges. In this article I propose a framework for considering these, based on time-honoured approaches to moral decision making. The framework is a tool for ethical analysis and is the basis of what research ethics committees should be doing in their reviews of the studies they are asked to approve. However, it is also a way for researchers to put into context the decisions they have to make. Decisions about what the research question is, how the study should be designed, what sources of cells to use for transplantations, which patient populations should be approached to take part and how to gain understanding and consent from the patients and their families. There are serious moral claims behind these decisions that should be brought to light and considered. The framework makes it possible to see how they relate to each other. The moral issues are not isolated.