Conditions for using human biological samples in scientific research: legal and ethical framework

Technological progress increased our capacities in storing biological sample for longer time. The use of biological resources and related data implies that French researchers respect the legal framework including laws on bioethics, protection of individuals involved in biomedical research and related data protection. This framework aims to protect the rights of individuals involved in biomedical research and to allow the identification of biobanks by French institutions. The recent revision of the French law on bioethics offers new perspectives to broaden the use of previously collected and stored biological resources. However, the legal French framework on biological resources does not seem basically applicable to tumor cell and tissue banks with respect to the specificities of their constitution.