Donini: “A gesture of great solidarity, fundamental for the progress of medicine and the protection of public health”
After the approval of the national law, the regional administration and the University of Bologna signed a collaboration agreement to create a communication and information campaign on this type of donation, still little known and widespread in Italy but central to the training of medical personnel and scientific research. From the ministry, almost 500 thousand euros to finance the project
January 19, 2024 – Training of healthcare personnel, scientific research, creation of human tissue banks useful for studying the pathogenetic mechanisms of diseases and identifying new biomarkers, improvement of surgical techniques for the benefit of medicine and future patients. These are some of the medical-scientific advances made possible thanks to donation of the body and post-mortem tissues to sciencea choice of high ethical value that is still little known and widespread in Italy today, but which is instrumental for the progress of study and research aimed at protecting public health.
To promote knowledge and awareness among citizens, and provide healthcare personnel with training opportunities on this topic, Emilia-Romagna Region and University of Bologna have signed a collaboration agreement aimed at creating a communication campaign. Possibility contemplated by law number 10 of 10 February 2022, which for the first time regulates the post-mortem donation of the body and tissues to science with methods similar to those defined for the living will and which also requires Regions and health authorities to carry out information campaigns for citizens and training for healthcare professionals.
Designated by the Ministry of Health as leader of this project, which in subsequent phases will also see the involvement of other Italian regions, Emilia-Romagna will therefore be the first in Italy to leaveand for this purpose has signed a collaboration with the Alma Mater of Bologna, whose Center for Clinical and Surgical Experimental and Molecular Anatomy of the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences is today recognized as National reference center for the conservation and use of the bodies of the deceased. The ministry also allocated to the Region 500 thousand euros, to cover the expenses that will be incurred for the campaign aimed at citizens and for the training of medical students and healthcare personnel.
“The direct study of the human body remains an irreplaceable element for the research and training of healthcare personnel and for the progress of medicine – states the councilor for health policies, Raffaele Donini-. Thanks to this agreement with the University of Bologna we want to promote correct information on the use of the human body and post-mortem tissues for study and scientific research purposes among citizens, while at the same time activating training courses aimed at professionals healthcare, to medical students, to doctors of public and private healthcare facilities, with the consideration that a choice of such high ethical and solidarity value deserves”.
“The donation of the body to science – explains the professor Lucia Manzoli, head of the Unibo National Reference Center and director of the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences – is a noble gesture that derives from a profound internal motivation, achieved only through knowledge of the meaning that this action has. This is an act of generosity towards the community, which has positive effects on public health through the advancement of knowledge, excellent medical training and the improvement of safety through experimentation and development of latest generation techniques and technologies and the simulation of highly complex procedures before applying them to the patient. The Alma Mater, on the strength of its history, was the first in Italy to understand the strategic importance of the anatomical study of the cadaver, even in an era characterized by very rapid scientific and technological development, and has invested resources in a far-sighted project which led to the construction of two modern sector rooms inside the historic Institute of Human Anatomy, where the Unibo National Reference Center was established”.
Law no. 10 of 10 February 2022
From testing new surgical techniques in safe conditions to training future doctors, there are numerous opportunities offered in the medical field by post-mortem body and tissue donation. Speaking at update a regulatory framework dating back to a royal decree of 1933law 10 of 2020 redefines the methods of donating a body or tissues to science, providing that the person can make this choice pre-mortem by ‘drawing it up’ in the forms provided for the DAT, the advance treatment declarations (by public deed, by private agreement, or by authenticated private agreement, article 4, paragraph 6, of law 22 December 2017, no. 219), through which every adult person capable of understanding and wanting, in anticipation of a possible future inability to self-determine, can express their wishes regarding health treatments, as well as consent or refusal with respect to diagnostic tests or therapeutic choices and individual health treatments. An example is the will to become organ donors, a choice which is also compatible with the simultaneous donation of one’s body or post-mortem tissues to science.
The law also provides that the Regions and local health authorities adopt initiatives to promote awareness of the new regulatory provisions and the Region is designated leader of this project, also by virtue of the only national reference center located in Emilia-Romagna. The Region is also recognized by the ministry with 500 thousand euros as compensation for the expenses that will be incurred for the implementation of the campaign and training initiatives in collaboration with the University of Bologna.
Information more details on post-mortem body donation and the activities of the Anatomical Center of the University of Bologna are available on the center’s website: