Bioethics

With a rough draft of the human genome nearly complete, companies such as deCode genetics Inc. are looking to correlate genetic information with medical data to better understand disease. But obtaining and using such data has raised a debate over ethical issues.

Framingham Genomic Medicine Inc., recently founded by Boston University, has vowed to adhere strictly to the guidelines of informed consent. However, issues over involving the community in the process, as well as setting up a commercial enterprise based on data obtained using public money, are still being resolved...