On August 31, the first meeting of the Stakeholder Committee on Usage of RERF’s Stored Biosamples, a group composed of community leaders and atomic bomb survivors, was held in Nagasaki, following the Hiroshima meeting earlier in the year, in May.

  The Stakeholder Committee was formed in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki primarily to grasp local opinion on the use of RERF’s stored biosamples. The basis for establishment of the committees in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the belief that views expressed would have characteristics unique to each region.

  During the meeting in Nagasaki, an animated discussion followed RERF’s explanation of the intent of the committee, the background and procedures for using stored biosamples, as well as RERF’s obligations and responsibilities related to their use.

  Some of the opinions expressed by the committee members included that information provided to individual survivors on RERF’s research results is lacking, that survivors donate biosamples in good faith in the hopes that the samples can contribute to society and humanity, and the concern that collaborative studies performed with outside institutions might not be in keeping with the wishes of the survivors who donated the samples. The meeting was invaluable in that RERF was able to grasp critical views held by the outside community, unease surrounding its aims for use of the biosamples, and the strong desire for the biosamples entrusted to RERF to be used peacefully and appropriately.

  With this in mind, RERF must continue to carefully consider optimal procedures for use of these precious biosamples provided in good faith by the survivors, in order to meet survivors’ wishes.