Ethical and Legal Implications of Genomics in India: An Overview

Law

Knowledge of the links between genetics and disease has expanded as a result of analyses of the genome, or full DNA sequence. Discerning the recent developments in the field of genomics, it could be said that within a few years, complete genomes rather than isolated portions will be used extensively in research due to anticipated advancements in "next-generation" DNA-sequencing technology. An in-depth understanding of the human genome, its relationship to diseases, and how it responds to treatments has huge potential for developments in preventive and personalized medicine. Besides the scientific advantages of genetic research, there are legal and ethical implications. Despite the expectation that genetic research data may and will be made anonymous, participants' identities can occasionally be revealed, which may warrant the application of relevant laws. Next-generation sequencing and data sharing are putting many legal safeguards for preserving research participants' privacy to the test. This study examines the ethical and legal concerns that must be solved for the mass genotyping of people to be affordable and ethically acceptable. In this paper an effort has been made to find out the answers to questions like; are there any principles or guidelines to regulate, genomics research; how these researches could affect the rights to informed consent and privacy regarding the sequencing, testing, and disclosure of genomic data about identifiable individuals. Whether the existing laws and regulations for research are enough to address these issues.

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