DNA donor rights affirmed

摘要

It is a familiar scenario in genetic research: a subject's DNA is collected for one study, deposited in a database or biobank and then analysed by other researchers for separate studies. But what happens when a later study stumbles on something that could be of significance for the donor, such as an allele for familial hypercholesterolaemia - a treatable genetic disorder that causes progressive atherosclerosis - or some other health-related variation? Do researchers conducting secondary studies and biobanks have a duty to share such revelations with the original research subjects?