Barnes M, Bledsoe M, Kusunose M, Lawlor R, Morrin H, Schmid A. International Ethical Principles for Banking and Secondary Research Use of Human Biospecimens and Associated Data: The Seattle Principles. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. Published online 2026:1-9.
The International Ethical Principles for Banking and Secondary Research Use of Human Biospecimens and Associated Data (the “Seattle Principles”) were developed in collaboration with an international group of members. This paper proposes the Seattle Principles as an international ethical framework to address challenges arising from the global sharing and secondary use of human biospecimens and associated data. Given the diversity of legal systems and cultural contexts across countries, the principles aim to balance the advancement of science and research with the protection of research participants. Specifically, the paper outlines eleven core principles for biobanking and the secondary use of biospecimens and data, which were developed through discussions with a wide range of stakeholders and are intended to serve as a common ethical framework for international collaborative research, while also enhancing trust in scientific research.
