Editor-in-Chief Opening Remarks

Dear Readers,

The new issue of Lex Genetica considers the legal challenges arising in the context of the rapid development of genetic technologies. Today, genomic research and biomedical innovations are rapidly shaping new contours of legal regulation – from public law mechanisms aimed at ensuring safety to private law instruments that set out to protect individual interests. The articles presented in this issue confirm the multifaceted and interdisciplinary nature of modern law in this field.

The public law section opens with an article by G.B. Romanovsky and O.V. Romanovskaya, which explores the legal foundations of regenerative medicine. The authors analyze existing gaps in the regulation of gene therapy and cellular technologies, emphasizing the need to introduce flexible legal regimes capable of ensuring a balance between safety and the accelerated implementation of innovative treatment methods.

Continuing the discussion of public law regulation, the article by D.V. Ponomareva offers a comprehensive comparative legal analysis of the circulation of genetically modified organisms in the context of food security. The study examines regulatory frameworks and enforcement practices across various jurisdictions to identify the most effective models for risk management and fostering innovation in the agricultural sector.

The private law dimension is represented by the work of D.O. Osmanova, which discusses intellectual property rights in the results of genetic research. The article raises the issue of the legal status of human biological material and the fair distribution of benefits derived from its use. The author highlights the need to take into account the contribution of individuals involved in the provision of biological material and proposes a differentiated approach to protecting their property interests.

The comparative law section includes works that reveal international approaches to the regulation of genetic technologies. The article by D.R. Brasil and E.E. Gulyaeva analyzes the multi-level system of genome protection in Brazil, which includes constitutional guarantees, biosafety regulations, and data protection legislation. Demonstrating that, despite its fragmented nature, this system is capable of ensuring comprehensive protection of genetic information, the authors offer recommendations for its further development.

The work by Feng Chong addresses the global regulation of genetic resources of the high seas on the case-study example of Antarctic krill. Examining the relationship between patent law and emerging international benefit-sharing mechanisms, the author raises the issue of maintaining a balance between encouraging innovation and preserving the principle of the common heritage of humankind.

The issue concludes with a review of monographs prepared by researchers of the Research and Educational Center for Legal Support of the Bioeconomy and Genetic Technologies of the Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL).

Thus, the current issue of Lex Genetica provides a comprehensive view of the development of law in the field of genetic technologies from national legal regimes to global regulatory processes. The articles in this issue are united by the pursuit of a balance between scientific progress and the protection of fundamental human rights, which becomes one of the key tasks of modern legal development.

We thank the authors for their contributions to the academic discourse – and our readers for their interest in the journal and in the issues already shaping the legal agenda of the future.

Best regards,
Editor-in-Chief O.S. Grin