Desafios bioéticos na sociedade tecnológica / Bioethical challenges in the technological society

Há 50 anos atrás, Van Rensselaer Potter, considerado pai da Bioética, publicou Bioética: ponte para o futuro. Mesmo sendo uma disciplina relativamente recente, e ainda enfrentando o desafio de consolidar-se, a Bioética deve dar respostas à questões antigas e novas, conforme evidenciado napandemia deCovid-19. Na primeira parte deste trabalho, apresentam-se alguns dilemas actuais, que são possíveis pela tecnologia disponível. Utilizam-se casos dos últimos cinco anos, para ilustrar como o uso das novas biotecnologias exigem uma reflexão bioética, necessária tanto para os sujeitos envolvidos directamente, como para a sociedade em geral. Consideramos que o progresso, para que seja verdadeiro, deve ser um avanço na direcção correcta. Ou seja, a tecnologia por si só não basta para o progresso dahumanidade, é necessário que o seu uso favoreça a pessoa humana e a sociedade, sempre respeitando os direitos e considerando os deveres. A segunda parte concentra-sena origem, actualidade e horizonteda na Bioética. Revisam-se alguns dos acontecimentos mais importantes no seu desenvolvimento, desde a primeira vez que a palavra foi usada em 1927, até os desafios que se preveem nas próximas décadas. Conclui-se com a necessidade de uma Bioética verdadeiramente global, com métodose princípios consolidados, e capaz de dar respostas aos dilemas actuais. Portanto, os três desafios principais possivelmentesão: ampliar a visão, contar com um fundamento antropológico, e ser capaz de ser pró-activa

Fifty years ago, Van Rensselaer Potter, considered the father of bioethics, published Bioethics: Bridge to the Future. Even as a relatively recent discipline, and still facing the challenge of consolidating itself, bioethics must provide answers to old and new questions, as evidenced in the present pandemic of Covid-19. In the first part of this paper, some current dilemmas, which are made possible by the technology available today, are presented. Cases from the last five years are used to illustrate how the use of new biotechnologies requires a bioethical reflection, necessary both for the subjects directly involved and for society in general. We consider that progress, in order to be true, must be an advance in the right direction. In other words,technology alone is not enough for the progress of humanity, it is necessary that its use favours the human person and society, always respecting rights and considering duties. The second part focuses on bioethics, its origin, current affairs and horizon.Some of the most important events in the development of bioethics are reviewed, from the first time the word was used in 1927 to the challenges that are foreseen in the coming decades. It concludes with the need for a truly global Bioethics, with consolidated methods and principles, and capable of providing answers to current dilemmas. Therefore, the three main challenges are possibly: broadening the vision, having an anthropological foundation, and being able to be proactive.

CRISPR: Challenges to South African biotechnology law

Genome editing using newly discovered tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 offers the potential to modify the genetic make-up of plants, non-human animals and humans in exact ways. Such genetic modification can serve the purpose of correcting gene defects, and can enhance certain characteristics. Apart from reigniting old ethical debates, genome editing also poses a particular challenge to legal practitioners, as this new technology does not always fit into existing definitional moulds, and it lacks clear legal precedent. In this article, we identify the most salient areas of concern in the South African legal context

Leading Article - Role of biotechnology in medicinal plants

Medicinal plants are the most important source of life saving drugs for the majority of the world's population. The biotechnological tools are important to select; multiply and conserve the critical genotypes of medicinal plants. In-vitro regeneration holds tremendous potential for the production of high-quality plant-based medicine. Cryopreservation is long-term conservation method in liquid nitrogen and provides an opportunity for conservation of endangered medicinal plants. In-vitro production of secondary metabolites in plant cell suspension cultures has been reported from various medicinal plants. Bioreactors are the key step towards commercial production of secondary metabolites by plant biotechnology. Genetic transformation may be a powerful tool for enhancing the productivity of novel secondary metabolites; especially by Agrobacterium rhizogenes induced hairy roots. This article discusses the applications of biotechnology for regeneration and genetic transformation for enhancement of secondary metabolite production in-vitro from medicinal plants