Dear Colleagues, After receiving a couple responses regarding using PROP as a taste stimulus in human subjects which suggest that since such miniscule amounts are presented to subjects (and since it is used clinically) that the potential carcinogenic effects are not a concern, I have two follow-up concerns. 1. Even given the above information, I don't know if the importance of the relevant research justifies exposing subjects to any amount of PROP. 2. Are subjects informed of the status of PROP in the informed consent forms? It seems that if I were a subject reading that PROP is potentially carcinogenic, it wouldn't matter to me that it was being used in minute quantities (i.e., subthreshold doses compared to clinically used doses)... I wouldn't agree to even taste it. What types of subjects are agreeing to participate? What kinds of information is included in the informed consent? If the information about potential carcinogenicity is not included, are subjects really informed? I've already submitted a proposal to our IRB to use PROP, but am seriously reconsidering doing the project because I personally don't feel comfortable exposing subjects in my experiments to any dose (no matter how small) of a potential carcinogen. I just don't see my research as being that important. Dancing with a dilemma, -S -- |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Steven M. Specht, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology Psychology Department Utica College of Syracuse University 1600 Burrstone Rd. Utica, NY 13502 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (315) 792-3171 "To teach is to learn twice". - Joseph Joubert (1754-1824)
