Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing
Abstract Background Forward-looking, democratically oriented governance is needed to ensure that human genome editing serves rather than undercuts public values. Scientific, policy, and ethics communities have recognized this necessity but have demonstrated limited understanding of how to fulfill it...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Ethics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-023-00951-8 |
| _version_ | 1797451580027437056 |
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| author | Cynthia Selin Lauren Lambert Stephanie Morain John P. Nelson Dorit Barlevy Mahmud Farooque Haley Manley Christopher T. Scott |
| author_facet | Cynthia Selin Lauren Lambert Stephanie Morain John P. Nelson Dorit Barlevy Mahmud Farooque Haley Manley Christopher T. Scott |
| author_sort | Cynthia Selin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Forward-looking, democratically oriented governance is needed to ensure that human genome editing serves rather than undercuts public values. Scientific, policy, and ethics communities have recognized this necessity but have demonstrated limited understanding of how to fulfill it. The field of bioethics has long attempted to grapple with the unintended consequences of emerging technologies, but too often such foresight has lacked adequate scientific grounding, overemphasized regulation to the exclusion of examining underlying values, and failed to adequately engage the public. Methods This research investigates the application of scenario planning, a tool developed in the high-stakes, uncertainty-ridden world of corporate strategy, for the equally high-stakes and uncertain world of the governance of emerging technologies. The scenario planning methodology is non-predictive, looking instead at a spread of plausible futures which diverge in their implications for different communities’ needs, cares, and desires. Results In this article we share how the scenario development process can further understandings of the complex and dynamic systems which generate and shape new biomedical technologies and provide opportunities to re-examine and re-think questions of governance, ethics and values. We detail the results of a year-long scenario planning study that engaged experts from the biological sciences, bioethics, social sciences, law, policy, private industry, and civic organizations to articulate alternative futures of human genome editing. Conclusions Through sharing and critiquing our methodological approach and results of this study, we advance understandings of anticipatory methods deployed in bioethics, demonstrating how this approach provides unique insights and helps to derive better research questions and policy strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:56:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc1619ec27044612b1778e65ebc5df77 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6939 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:56:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Ethics |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc1619ec27044612b1778e65ebc5df772023-11-26T14:09:58ZengBMCBMC Medical Ethics1472-69392023-09-0124111210.1186/s12910-023-00951-8Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editingCynthia Selin0Lauren Lambert1Stephanie Morain2John P. Nelson3Dorit Barlevy4Mahmud Farooque5Haley Manley6Christopher T. Scott7School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State UniversitySchool of Sustainability at Arizona State UniversityBerman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins UniversitySchool of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of TechnologyCenter for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of MedicineConsortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes, Arizona State UniversityCenter for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of MedicineCenter for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of MedicineAbstract Background Forward-looking, democratically oriented governance is needed to ensure that human genome editing serves rather than undercuts public values. Scientific, policy, and ethics communities have recognized this necessity but have demonstrated limited understanding of how to fulfill it. The field of bioethics has long attempted to grapple with the unintended consequences of emerging technologies, but too often such foresight has lacked adequate scientific grounding, overemphasized regulation to the exclusion of examining underlying values, and failed to adequately engage the public. Methods This research investigates the application of scenario planning, a tool developed in the high-stakes, uncertainty-ridden world of corporate strategy, for the equally high-stakes and uncertain world of the governance of emerging technologies. The scenario planning methodology is non-predictive, looking instead at a spread of plausible futures which diverge in their implications for different communities’ needs, cares, and desires. Results In this article we share how the scenario development process can further understandings of the complex and dynamic systems which generate and shape new biomedical technologies and provide opportunities to re-examine and re-think questions of governance, ethics and values. We detail the results of a year-long scenario planning study that engaged experts from the biological sciences, bioethics, social sciences, law, policy, private industry, and civic organizations to articulate alternative futures of human genome editing. Conclusions Through sharing and critiquing our methodological approach and results of this study, we advance understandings of anticipatory methods deployed in bioethics, demonstrating how this approach provides unique insights and helps to derive better research questions and policy strategies.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-023-00951-8AnticipationHuman genome editingScenario planningGovernanceBioethics |
| spellingShingle | Cynthia Selin Lauren Lambert Stephanie Morain John P. Nelson Dorit Barlevy Mahmud Farooque Haley Manley Christopher T. Scott Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing BMC Medical Ethics Anticipation Human genome editing Scenario planning Governance Bioethics |
| title | Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing |
| title_full | Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing |
| title_fullStr | Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing |
| title_short | Researching the future: scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing |
| title_sort | researching the future scenarios to explore the future of human genome editing |
| topic | Anticipation Human genome editing Scenario planning Governance Bioethics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-023-00951-8 |
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