[Patients' contribution to the review of research protocols].

Involvement of patients in the ethical management of research protocols began by patients' associations involved in the fight against AIDS in France in the 1990s. It was the first step towards recognizing the major role of patients in research that concerns them. This article aims describing this emancipation and its consequences on the evolution of research by drawing on two experiences: 1) The one of the « Comité de patients pour la recherche clinique » founded in 1998 by the « Ligue nationale contre le cancer » and by the « Fédération nationale des centres de lutte contre le cancer »; 2) The one of the « Collège des relecteurs de l'Inserm » set up in 2007.