In this issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, we are proud to present the symposium “The Ethical, Legal & Policy Challenges of Stopping Biological Time,” guest-edited by our friends Susan M. Wolf, Timothy L. Pruett, and Korkut Uygun. Writing in their introduction, the editors explain
Human beings depend on biological materials for survival — everything from food to medical interventions such as organ transplantation, to the environments in which we live. So it is no surprise that techniques to avoid the deterioration of biological materials have been used since ancient times…(today) Supercooling, partial freezing, vitrification, and nanowarming are among the techniques showing remarkable promise in a range of biological materials, from cells to tissues, whole organs, and even whole organisms.
This symposium is an attempt to map the landscape of ethical, legal, and policy challenges posed by these advanced biopreservation techniques. By bringing together a remarkable group of authors, often working in teams, the editors craft a fascinating, multidisciplinary look at an issue that will only grow in importance over the coming decades, since (as the authors all acknowledge) the science is advancing at an incredible rate.
This issue also features a diverse and interesting collection of independent articles, included topics a varied as opioid prescribing, industry-funded clinical trials, transgender people and dementia planning, age and disability discrimination in cancer clinical trials, and conflicts of interest. We intended for this issue to have something for everyone, and we hope there’s something for you no matter how you are reading it: on paper, or online, where all of the articles from the symposium are free and available for all. We hope you enjoy it!
