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Review
. 2017 Jul 25;15(7):e2002654.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2002654. eCollection 2017 Jul.

Genes, cells, and biobanks: Yes, there's still a consent problem

Timothy Caulfield  1 , Blake Murdoch  1
Affiliations
Review

Genes, cells, and biobanks: Yes, there's still a consent problem

Timothy Caulfield et al. PLoS Biol. .

Abstract

From a research perspective, the interest in biobanking continues to intensify. Governments and industry have invested heavily in biobanks, as exemplified by initiatives like the United Kingdom Biobank and United States' Precision Medicine Initiative. But despite this enthusiasm, many profound legal and ethical challenges remain unresolved. Indeed, there continues to be disagreements about how best to obtain consent and the degree and nature of control that research participants retain over donated samples and health information. Emerging social trends-including concerns about commercialization and perceived rights of continuing control ("biorights")-seem likely to intensify these issues.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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