The Role of Virtue Ethics in Determining Acceptable Limits of Genetic Enhancement

There are always new proposals concerning the application of new genetic technology. Some of them concern the genetic enhancement of man. There are four groups of such proposals, labeled as: better children, better performance, ageless bodies, and happy souls. The Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, which distinguishes between therapeutic and non-therapeutic genetic manipulation, does not reject non-therapeutic genetic manipulation (genetic enhancement is such manipulation), but it does prescribe some requirements for its moral acceptance. However, these requirements are general and not very useful for determining specific moral limits for genetic enhancement of man. There are neither ready standards nor criteria for establishing those limits. The role of philosophers (theologians) then, is to ascertain those limits. It is possible to do that on the basis of virtue ethics in its version elaborated by St. Thomas Aquinas. His description of human perfection is of great help in establishing the morally acceptable limits of the genetic enhancement of man. Aquinas’s intuitions are confirmed by the observations of contemporary psychology.There are always new proposals concerning the application of new genetic technology. Some of them concern the genetic enhancement of man. There are four groups of such proposals, labeled as: better children, better performance, ageless bodies, and happy souls. The Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, which distinguishes between therapeutic and non-therapeutic genetic manipulation, does not reject non-therapeutic genetic manipulation (genetic enhancement is such manipulation), but it does prescribe some requirements for its moral acceptance. However, these requirements are general and not very useful for determining specific moral limits for genetic enhancement of man. There are neither ready standards nor criteria for establishing those limits. The role of philosophers (theologians) then, is to ascertain those limits. It is possible to do that on the basis of virtue ethics in its version elaborated by St. Thomas Aquinas. His description of human perfection is of great help in establishing the morally acceptable limits of the genetic enhancement of man. Aquinas’s intuitions are confirmed by the observations of contemporary psychology

Christian Anthropology Versus the New Anthropology and the Quest for Human Perfection

In the current debate, we witness a conflict between the Christian concept of man vs. concepts that justify in vitro fertilization (IVF), genetic enhancement, or the reassignment of sexuality. Modern concepts cannot disregard the historic perspective of the consistent doctrines that the Catholic Church has maintained throughout her 2000-year history and which constitute the precursors of contemporary bioethics. Although she has adjusted specifics occasionally to address new developments, she has always based doctrine on immutable core principles. The current conflict lies neither in the novelty of the new proposals, nor in a conflict between religious and lay worldviews, but rather in concepts of man and human perfection. Some human traits may be regarded as disordered and incompatible with a particular concept of human perfection. The new proposals tend to involve physical changes based on technological manipulation, with a goal of developing a superior being, while Christian proposals do not seek to manipulate man’s being, but to develop his existing potential within criteria of acceptable reason. The new proposals rely on a Cartesian view which constitutes a human as his mind (cogito ergo sum), which has dominion over his body including authority to reengineer it according to any project that mind conceives. In contrast, the Christian concept views the human subject as a unity of mind and body, which may not be reshaped to meet a questionable goal of human perfection. The technological tools within the new concepts are in no way superior to the more personal attributes like virtues, perfection of the human will, prayer, and ascesis within the Christian concept.In the current debate, we witness a conflict between the Christian concept of man vs. concepts that justify in vitro fertilization (IVF), genetic enhancement, or the reassignment of sexuality. Modern concepts cannot disregard the historic perspective of the consistent doctrines that the Catholic Church has maintained throughout her 2000-year history and which constitute the precursors of contemporary bioethics. Although she has adjusted specifics occasionally to address new developments, she has always based doctrine on immutable core principles. The current conflict lies neither in the novelty of the new proposals, nor in a conflict between religious and lay worldviews, but rather in concepts of man and human perfection. Some human traits may be regarded as disordered and incompatible with a particular concept of human perfection. The new proposals tend to involve physical changes based on technological manipulation, with a goal of developing a superior being, while Christian proposals do not seek to manipulate man’s being, but to develop his existing potential within criteria of acceptable reason. The new proposals rely on a Cartesian view which constitutes a human as his mind (cogito ergo sum), which has dominion over his body including authority to reengineer it according to any project that mind conceives. In contrast, the Christian concept views the human subject as a unity of mind and body, which may not be reshaped to meet a questionable goal of human perfection. The technological tools within the new concepts are in no way superior to the more personal attributes like virtues, perfection of the human will, prayer, and ascesis within the Christian concept

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins Shape T\u3csub\u3ereg\u3c/sub\u3e Cells

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family includes cytokines controlling cell behavior, differentiation and homeostasis of various tissues including components of the immune system. Despite well recognized importance of TGF-β in controlling T cell functions, the immunomodulatory roles of many other members of the TGF-β cytokine family, especially bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), start to emerge. Bone Morphogenic Protein Receptor 1α (BMPR1α) is upregulated by activated effector and Foxp3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells (Treg cells) and modulates functions of both of these cell types. BMPR1α inhibits generation of proinflammatory Th17 cells and sustains peripheral Treg cells. This finding underscores the importance of the BMPs in controlling Treg cell plasticity and transition between Treg and Th cells. BMPR1α deficiency in in vitro induced and peripheral Treg cells led to upregulation of Kdm6b (Jmjd3) demethylase, an antagonist of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and cell cycle inhibitor Cdkn1a (p21Cip1) promoting cell senescence. This indicates that BMPs and BMPR1α may represent regulatory modules shaping epigenetic landscape and controlling proinflammatory reprogramming of Th and Treg cells. Revealing functions of other BMP receptors and their crosstalk with receptors for TGF-β will contribute to our understanding of peripheral immunoregulation

Thymus-derived regulatory T cells control tolerance to commensal microbiota

Peripheral mechanisms preventing autoimmunity and maintaining tolerance to commensal microbiota involve CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells1,2 generated in the thymus (tTregs) or extrathymically by induction of naive CD4+Foxp3− T cells (iTregs). Prior studies suggested that the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires of tTregs and iTregs are biased towards self and non-self antigens, respectively 3–6 but their relative contribution in controlling immunopathology, e.g. colitis and other untoward inflammatory responses triggered by different types of antigens, remains unresolved 7. The intestine, and especially the colon, is a particularly suitable organ to study this question, given the variety of self-, microbiota- and food-derived antigens to which Tregs and other T cell populations are exposed. Intestinal environments can enhance conversion to a regulatory lineage 8,9 and favor tolerogenic presentation of antigens to naive CD4+ T cells 10,11, suggesting that intestinal homeostasis depends on microbiota-specific iTregs 12–15. Here, to identify the origin and antigen-specificity of intestinal Tregs, we performed single cell as well as high-throughput (HT) sequencing of the TCR repertoires of CD4+Foxp3+ and CD4+Foxp3− T cells and analyzed their reactivity against specific commensal species. We show that tTregs constitute the majority of Tregs in all lymphoid and intestinal organs, including colon, where their repertoire is heavily influenced by the composition of the microbiota. Our results suggest that tTregs, and not iTregs, dominantly mediate tolerance to antigens produced by intestinal commensals

The Mechanisms Shaping the Repertoire of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) Regulatory T Cells

Regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing Foxp3 transcription factor control homeostasis of the immune system, antigenic responses to commensal and pathogenic microbiota, and immune responses to self and tumour antigens. The Treg cells differentiate in the thymus, along with conventional CD4+ T cells, in processes of positive and negative selection. Another class of Treg cells is generated in peripheral tissues by inducing Foxp3 expression in conventional CD4+ T cells in response to antigenic stimulation. Both thymic and peripheral generation of Treg cells depends on recognition of peptide/MHC ligands by the T-cell receptors (TCR) expressed on thymic Treg precursors or peripheral conventional CD4+ T cells. This review surveys reports describing how thymus Treg cell generation depends on the selecting peptide/MHC ligands and how this process impacts the TCR repertoire expressed by Treg cells. We also describe how Treg cells depend on sustained signalling through the TCR and how they are further regulated by Foxp3 enhancer sequences. Finally, we review the impact of microbiota-derived antigens on the maintenance and functionality of the peripheral pool of Treg cells

Seria powieści Erla Stanleya Gardnera o Perrym Masonie i ich ekranizacje: recepcja przez współczesnych odbiorców polsko- i anglojęzycznych

This paper offers an overview of the reception of Erle Stanley Gardner’s series of novels about lawyer Perry Mason and the numerous film adaptations based on that series. It seeks to analyze their reception by contemporary Polish- and English-speaking readers and viewers. Accordingly, the statistics of readership and viewership of books, films and series based on the novels by Gardner are presented and discussed. The article is divided into five sections that deal with the following: Gardner as author; Gardner’s contribution to the development of serialized novel; editions of Gardner’s Perry Mason novels in the United States and in Poland; reception of Gardner’s Perry Mason novel series by Polish- and English-speaking readers, and reception of TV and film adaptations of these novels.Artykuł prezentuje przegląd informacji dotyczących dorobku Erla Stanleya Gardnera związanego z serią powieści o adwokacie Perrym Masonie oraz powstałych na jej podstawie licznych ekranizacji. Celem pracy jest analiza ich recepcji przez współczesnych polskich oraz anglojęzycznych czytelników, a także widzów. W tym celu zaprezentowano i omówiono statystyki poczytności książek i oglądalności powstałych na ich podstawie filmów oraz seriali. Artykuł podzielono na pięć części, które poruszają następujące zagadnienia: postać autora Erla Stanleya Gardnera; jego miejsce w historii powieści w odcinkach; wydania powieści o Perry Masonie w Stanach Zjednoczonych i w Polsce; recepcja serii tychże powieści przez czytelników polskich i anglojęzycznych; recepcja ich ekranizacji

Recenzja: A. Gruszczak, A. Lewandowski, A. Nyzio, Polskie studia wywiadowcze. Stan i perspektywy badań, Kraków 2024, ss. 156.

Początek 2024 roku dla zainteresowanych badaniami nad służbami specjalnymi okazał się bardzo interesujący. A już szczególnie dla autora recenzji, który od nastoletnich lat (mówimy o latach 1974/75) prowadził, początkowo bardzo amatorskie badania, wpisujące się być może w dyscyplinę naukową in statu nascendi, czyli studia wywiadowcze. Nakładem Wydawnictwa Księgarnia Akademicka w Krakowie świat ujrzała niezwykle ciekawa monografia pt. Polskie studia wywiadowcze. Stan i perspektywy. Jej autorami są troje badaczy. Dwóch z nich jest pracownikami Katedry Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego UJ (A. Gruszczak, A. Nyzio). Trzeci z autorów reprezentuje Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy, Katedrę Teorii Polityki i Zarządzania Sferą Publiczną UKW. Krótkie notki biograficzne znajdują się w książce, ale zgodnie z wymogami recenzji powydawniczej należy przedstawić autorów