Self-Experiment Rebooted. Historical and Ethical notes

Abstract

In November 2024, the publication of a scientific paper concerning the self-administration of a self-prescribed therapy provoked a global uproar. This article examines the relevance of the case within the longstanding tradition of self-experimentation in medicine, as it was presented to the press, while arguing that it more accurately reflects the more recent phenomenon of experimental self-therapy, typically pursued by patients outside regulatory frameworks. Although the case raises new ethical questions regarding contemporary medical practice, it also demonstrates that the critical methodological issues which contributed to the decline of self-experimentation persist. Furthermore, advances in scientific research and the rise of personalized medicine may, in the future, bring renewed attention to such practices. The article also illustrates how a mythologized interpretation of medical history—particularly regarding the ‘heroic’ cases of self-experimentation—can distort the debate. Finally, it raises several questions concerning the publication practices within the medical-scientific field and the dissemination of medical information in the general press.