Ownership of human tissue and the law

1 February 2002

journal article
research article
Published by Springer Nature in Nature Reviews Genetics

Vol. 3 (2) , 145-148
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg725

Abstract

Genetic researchers and medical practitioners often need to obtain access to stored human tissue without consent from the people concerned. But the laws that relate to the ownership of, and control over, stored human tissue are at present unclear, especially in the light of recent cases and inquiries. Here, I discuss how the law might be clarified, and argue that the law should allow stored human tissue to be used without consent, providing that this occurs with ethical approval and that the confidentiality of the donor is protected.

Keywords

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:

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