Can a Healthy Subject Volunteer to Be Injured in Research?

Abstract

The husband of a 63-year-old woman suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) volunteered to undergo biopsy of his own normal median nerve to serve as an experimental control. He knew he would lose most of the function of his thumb in his left hand but, since he was retired and did not intend to work, he was willing to participate. In a set of commentaries that discuss the Nuremberg Code, issues of free and informed consent, alternative sources of normal nerve tissue, altruism, and the costs and benefits of the research, Levine, Kanoti, and Lackey reach different conclusions as to whether the experiment should proceed. Levine would not approve; Kanoti would delay the biopsy for several months to explore alternatives and leave time for reflection; and Lackey would approve based on the volunteer's knowledge and acceptance of his loss of function and his desire to find some way to participate in his wife's treatment. (KIE abstract)