The following is an excerpt.
People who contribute tissue to biobanks have a right to basic information about how their donations may be used, an ethicist argues in a new paper.
Ethicists have typically viewed biobank donations through the lens of risk: Once someone has given a tissue sample and all identifying information is removed, later research risks no harm to them. Since they no longer need protection, donors usually sign blanket consent forms and receive no updates about how the tissue is used.
But surveys have found that some people may not donate to publicly funded biobanks if the research would lead to private commercial gain. Others may not want to be involved in research on controversial issues like cloning, or studies that reinforce negative racial stereotypes.
Read the full article here: Tissue donors deserve to know ‘moral risk’
