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Future-use consent and human virome research: ethical challenges
Inmaculada de Melo-Martín1, Hetanshi Naik2, Joseph Yracheta3
1Division of Medical Ethics, Weill Cornell Medicine-Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract:
Future-use consent frameworks enable broad research on biospecimens and now extend to human virome studies. However, virome research challenges the core assumptions underlying these consent models. We examine four dimensions of concern: evolving interpretive frameworks for biospecimens, the unforeseen sensitivity of viral findings, unanticipated downstream uses of samples, and unresolved questions regarding the return of results. These features call for updated governance capable of sustaining the ethical legitimacy of clinical research in rapidly evolving scientific landscapes.
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