Human Tissue: Ethical and Legal Issues
Published: Sat, 1 April 1995Human organs, tissue and cells have many uses in medicine and biology. A familiar example is the use of organs and tissue for transplantation. Less familiar is the ability to take a few human cells and grow them outside the body in order to produce vaccines or medicines.
The law relating to the use of human tissue has lagged behind these scientific developments. This report suggests an ethical and legal framework for the use of human tissue, addressing such questions as:
- which uses of human tissue are ethical?
- what are the appropriate safeguards for people from whom tissue is removed, whether patients or donors?
- is it ethical to buy or sell human tissue?
- is it ethical to patent inventions involving human tissue?
- how can the safety of human tissue used for medical purposes be ensured?
Last Updated Wed, 18 August 2004
