While it agonizes over releasing its recommendations on the use of federal money for human embryonic stem cell research—a report that is certain to spark fury from one side or the other irrespective of the conclusion—the US National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) has published an innocuous report on the ethical use and storage of human biological materials.

The 100-page document explains the current US system of human subject protections, which "focuses on a model of protection from physical harm," and concludes that existing federal human subject regulations can be extended to cover human biological materials as well. "This document shows how research involving genetic techniques and other biomedical and epidemiological investigations raise equally profound concerns about protection of human subjects," NBAC executive director Eric Meslin told Nature Medicine.

The report advises that if an investigator accesses a patient's medical records, this should be classed as human subject research also. The NBAC panel urged institutional review boards to adopt new policies to govern this type of research, suggesting that informed consent should be obtained for use of human biological materials, whether it will be used at time of collection, or in the future.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the document is the recommendation that medical results should only be disclosed to patients when the findings are valid and confirmed, when they have significant health implications, and there is a course of ameliorative or restorative treatment. In practice this could mean that certain genetic information may be withheld from individuals. The report is not binding, but may be used by the Clinton Administration or Congress as a template for improving federal protections. It is available at http://bioethics.gov/pubs.html