What event brought increased public scrutiny to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) system?

The event that significantly raised public scrutiny on the Institutional Review Board (IRB) system was the death of Jesse Gelsinger. Jesse was a participant in a gene therapy trial at the University of Pennsylvania in 1999, and his untimely death raised serious ethical and safety concerns regarding the oversight of human subjects in research.

This incident highlighted several critical issues, including the adequacy of informed consent processes, the transparency of the IRB's functions, and the protection of research participants. As a result, it led to widespread calls for reform within the IRB system and greater accountability in research practices. The Gelsinger case served as a pivotal moment in the history of human subject research, drawing attention not only from the scientific community but also from the media and the general public, thereby amplifying the demand for rigorous ethical standards and oversight in clinical trials.

The other response options, while relevant to ethical issues in research, did not have the same level of impact on the public's perception of the IRB system as Jesse Gelsinger's case.