Health Ministry Allows Use Of "Leftover" Organs, Blood, Hair For Research

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines for the ethical use of “leftover, de-identified and anonymous” samples generated from a diagnostic or surgical procedure on patients for commercial use. These specimens include organs, parts of organs, cells, tissues, cell products such as blood, blood products (even positive for eHBsAG/HCV/HIV/Syphilis and expired blood), urine, saliva, DNA/RNA, hair, nail clippings, or any other cells, body fluids etc. The source for these specimens may be patients, autopsy specimens, abandoned wastes, tissue banks, IVF clinics and organ donation centres among others, the health ministry said recently.