Ethical and Legal Requirements of Transnational Genetic Research

With the advancement of molecular technologies, genetic research has made enormous progress over the last decade. To facilitate genetic research, the collection, integration and exploitation of data are prerequisite. Genetic data, however, providing information not only about the person herself but also about her family, parentage and ethnic decent, are regarded as both the most valuable and vulnerable data, worthy of protection by all and any means. On the other hand, clinical research makes it necessary to disclose and exchange genetic data. In order to resolve this dilemma ethical and legal requirements must be observed. To this end, this book provides for an in-depth overview of the respective requirements. In its legal part focus is laid on the European Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and its impact on Trans-European Research Projects and other genetic research networks.