Ethical Issues on the Secondary Use of Human Biological Samples: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Human biological samples are a valuable source of information that may aid in the generation of new knowledge. However, the use of human biological samples for research poses various ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI). We performed a scoping review to identify the ethical issues surrounding the use of human biological samples for research. We developed a search string strategy to identify literature in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Out of 4067 identified articles, 61 articles were included for final analysis. The findings of this study revealed multiple ethical issues stemming from the knowledge and awareness of different stakeholders involved in research, the factors affecting donors' study participation, the consent process, and the governance and structures of these human biological samples. This study will provide guidance for researchers, IRB members, and other stakeholders involved in the ethical consideration of using human biological samples for secondary research.