Brain death: recent ethical and religious considerations in Iran.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has a long history of medicine. The principles derived from core Islamic teachings provide a comprehensive moral, ethical, and legal framework for the practice of medicine. The issue of brain death has significant impact on the procurement of organs from cadavers. It is a major subject of debate and interest to bioscientists, legal experts, religious scholars, and the general public. Laws related to the ethical and legal aspects of cadaver organ donation from the brain dead have not been defined in many Muslim countries. This report presents recent advances in Iranian law with regard to the ethics of organ transplantation and the definition of brain death.