The elucidation of the causes of complex diseases pivots on understanding the interaction
between biological (genetic) and environmental factors that give rise to disease risk. The …

Biobanks are repositories of human biological materials collected for biomedical research.
There are over 300 million stored specimens in the United States, and the number grows by …

The hypothetical case of Mr. Jenkins illustrates innovations in digital health information
technology that may profoundly change medical care and the doctorpatient relationship. The …

The new field of toxicogenomics presents a potentially powerful set of tools to better
understand the health effects of exposures to toxicants in the environment. At the request of …

The empirical literature on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of biobanking
has almost entirely relied on the perspectives of those outside of biobanks, such as the …

Genetic research gained new momentum with the completion of the Human Genome Project
in 2003. Formerly centered on the investigation of single-gene disorders, genetic research is …

This paper outlines some of the challenges faced by regulation of genetic biobanking, using
case studies coming from the Italian legal system. The governance of genetic resources in …

Purpose: To explore the views of university-based investigators conducting genetic research
with human specimens regarding ownership and retention of specimens, and knowledge of …

Large scale human genetic databases are believed to hold great promise for human
wellbeing. The problem is that existing research ethics guidelines, especially those …

In order to follow population-based approaches for certain causes and risks of illnesses,
more and more biobanks have been set up during the last years. Here, samples and …