The significance of the Nuremberg Trials of 1945 for developing biomedical ethics and the ethical review of biomedical research
https://doi.org/10.37489/2588-0519-GCP-0007
EDN: TYHPRM
Abstract
This article analyzes the historical role of the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi doctors (1945-1947) in shaping modern biomedical ethics and the system of ethical review. It examines the key principles of the Nuremberg Code, such as voluntary informed consent, risk minimization, and scientific validity, which became the cornerstone for subsequent international ethical and legal documents. It is shown that the lessons of Nuremberg were reflected in the development of international instruments aimed at regulating medical and research activities (the Helsinki Declaration, the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, the World Health Organization Code of Ethics, the World Medical Association's Geneva Declaration) and directly led to the establishment of the institution of ethics committees, which protect the rights and dignity of research participants. The conclusion is made about the enduring relevance of the Code's principles in the face of new challenges of the 21st century.
Keywords
УДК: 174:61:341.485
About the Authors
A. L. KhokhlovRussian Federation
Alexander L. Khokhlov — Dr. Sci (Med.), Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Rector
Yaroslavl
Competing Interests:
Authors declare no conflict of interest requiring disclosure in this article.
D. Yu. Belousov
Russian Federation
Dmitry Yu. Belousov — General Director
Moscow
Competing Interests:
Authors declare no conflict of interest requiring disclosure in this article.
P. A. Khmelnitskaya
Russian Federation
Polina A. Khmelnitskaya — Department of Social Work, Economics and Bioethics
Yaroslavl
Competing Interests:
Authors declare no conflict of interest requiring disclosure in this article.
D. E. Firsov
Russian Federation
Denis E. Firsov — Cand. Sci. (Philos.), Dr. Sci. (Cultural Studies), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Social Work, Economics, and Bioethics at the Yaroslavl State Medical University, Director of the Institute of Psychology, Sociology, and Bioethics
Yaroslavl
Competing Interests:
Authors declare no conflict of interest requiring disclosure in this article.
References
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Review
For citations:
Khokhlov A.L., Belousov D.Yu., Khmelnitskaya P.A., Firsov D.E. The significance of the Nuremberg Trials of 1945 for developing biomedical ethics and the ethical review of biomedical research. Kachestvennaya Klinicheskaya Praktika = Good Clinical Practice. 2025;(4):72-77. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37489/2588-0519-GCP-0007. EDN: TYHPRM
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