Clarifying the Ethics and Oversight of Chimeric Research.

This article is the lead piece in a special report that presents the results of a bioethical investigation into chimeric research, which involves the insertion of human cells into nonhuman animals and nonhuman animal embryos, including into their brains. Rapid scientific developments in this field may advance knowledge and could lead to new therapies for humans. They also reveal the conceptual, ethical, and procedural limitations of existing ethics guidance for human-nonhuman chimeric research. Led by bioethics researchers working closely with an interdisciplinary work group, the investigation focused on generating conceptual clarity and identifying improvements to governance approaches, with the goal of helping scholars, funders, scientists, institutional leaders, and oversight bodies (embryonic stem cell research oversight [ESCRO] committees and institutional animal care and use committees [IACUCs]) deliver principled and trustworthy oversight of this area of science. The article, which focuses on human-nonhuman animal chimeric research that is stem cell based, identifies key ethical issues in and offers ten recommendations regarding the ethics and oversight of this research. Turning from bioethics' previous focus on human-centered questions about the ethics of "humanization" and this research's potential impact on concepts like human dignity, this article emphasizes the importance of nonhuman animal welfare concerns in chimeric research and argues for less-siloed governance and oversight and more-comprehensive public communication.

Depressive symptoms and physical performance in the lifestyle interventions and independence for elders pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the presence of high depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score ≥ 14) diminished physical performance benefits after a comprehensive physical activity intervention in older adults. DESIGN: A post hoc analysis of data from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) study, a single-blind randomized controlled trial comparing a moderate-intensity physical activity intervention (PA) with a successful aging control (SA). SETTING: Multicenter U.S. institutions participating in the LIFE-P trial. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred twenty-four sedentary, noninstitutionalized adults aged 70 to 89. MEASUREMENTS: Depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D. Physical performance tests included the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and 400-m walk time (400 mw) at baseline and 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Of the participants, 15.8% had high depressive symptom scores (CES-D ≥ 14). For participants with low depressive symptoms, SPPB scores improved more in the PA than the SA group over 12 months (adjusted score difference +0.70; P < .001 at 6 months and +0.58; P = .004 at 12 months), and 400 mw times improved in the PA group at 6 months (adjusted score difference -0.41 minutes; P = .02). For participants with high depressive symptoms, the difference in improvement fell short of statistical significance on the SPPB between the PA and SA groups (adjusted score difference +0.76 (P = .18) at 6 months and +0.94 (P = .12) at 12 months). CONCLUSION: The presence of high depressive symptoms did not substantially diminish physical performance benefits realized after a PA intervention in sedentary older adults.

Can Tai chi enhance cognitive vitality? A preliminary study of cognitive executive control in older adults after A Tai chi intervention.

We explored tasks of cognitive and physical performance in 20 older adult subjects after a 10 week Tai chi program in older adults using a pre-to-post test design. Improvement post intervention was seen in two cognitive measures of executive function and several physical performance measures. Preliminary findings in this non-controlled study suggest the possibility of beneficial effects of Tai chi on cognitive executive function in older adults and support the need to pursue this hypothesis in a randomized controlled trial.