Patricia Stapleton > Assisted Reproductive Technology

Assisted Reproductive Technology

Stories to watch: genetic engineering in 2016

The last months of 2015 brought genetic engineering back to the front pages with several major news stories, particularly the FDA’s approval of genetically engineered salmon and breakthroughs in the use of Crispr-Cas9 (a gene-editing technology). Often when I talk to people about my research, they want to know if GMOs are safe to eat, but the debate over GMOs – and genetic engineering more broadly – is much bigger than questions of scientific risk assessment and management. These two recent stories highlight how much the debate focuses on questions of ethics too. I’ve talked a little about Crispr before, so let’s turn to genetically engineered (GE) salmon. Scientists have been working on GE salmon for over two decades, however…

Assisted Reproductive Technology, Biotechnology, Food Safety

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02

Jan

2016

From French lit to biotech regulation…

Inevitably when people find out I started a PhD in French literature before switching to political science, I hear: “You were a lit major? How’d you end up here?” In my mind, the route from French to political science is actually very clear! But sometimes I come across an article that helps me explain it better. Carl Zimmer reported in The New York Times last week on how the “Editing of Pig DNA May Lead to More Organs for People.” Zimmer writes about a new method for editing genes, called Crispr, that presents the possibility of altering pig DNA in a way that would allow doctors to successfully transplant pig organs into humans. Andrew Pollack has discussed Crispr and its…

Assisted Reproductive Technology, Biotechnology, Publications, Utopia/Dystopia

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20

Oct

2015

Debating Paid Surrogacy

The New York Times has recently published a series of articles on assisted reproductive technology and on surrogacy in particular. “Room for Debate” has hosted a discussion on surrogacy, with five experts weighing in on the legal and ethical ramifactions of the practice. An article from September 17th further highlights the piecemeal regulatory approach we have in the US for dealing with surrogacy and surrogate contracts. The author, Tamar Lewin, notes that “Seventeen states have laws permitting surrogacy, but they vary greatly in both breadth and restrictions. In 21 states, there is neither a law nor a published case regarding surrogacy…” The wide disparity among state regulations leaves potential parents vulnerable to contract violations. Moreover, the vast differences among states…

Assisted Reproductive Technology

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28

Sep

2014

(Infertility + Lack of Regulation) x Capitalism = Surrogacy Tourism

I tweeted recently about an article by Tamar Lewin in The New York Times, “A Surrogacy Agency That Delivered Heartache,” which looked at the disreputable business practices of a “medical tourism company.” The title of this post, (Infertility + Lack of Regulation) x Capitalism = Surrogacy Tourism, was meant to be a little snarky, but it also has deeper meaning. A lack of comprehensive and clear federal regulation of reproductive medicine here in the United States, as well as spotty coverage by insurance companies, impels American patients to look abroad for other options. While the practice is more common for people seeking cosmetic surgery, clinics are beginning to tap into the demand for assisted reproductive technology (ART). There are different…

Assisted Reproductive Technology

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03

Aug

2014