Many people today are completely unaware that scientists
could be using their cells right now for research purposes. In fact, as mentioned in the New York Times article, tissues from millions of Americans are currently being used for
research and they have no idea about it! If the identities of leftover clinical
specimens like blood samples or biopsies are removed, scientists can officially
use them without asking for the patient’s permission. However, without the
research done on many of these leftover clinical specimens, many medical
discoveries may have not been found. I personally believe that research done
without consent on leftover clinical specimens is very beneficial. Not only could
they find cures for many diseases, they could also find advances that could one
day benefit your health!
The United States government stated they would review the
Federal Policy for Protection of Human Subjects, which regulates research done
on humans and genetic material as stated in the article. If the clinical
specimens left have no other purpose but to end in the trash, why not allow
them to be used for something that could benefit you or your family in the long
run? Using the genetic material of one person could potentially save the life
of millions of others by allowing individualized treatments to be discovered. I personally think there is no better use of leftover specimen than research for the benefit of ourselves and society as a whole. This could lead to discoveries that could positively influence future generations.
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