Constitutional status of citizens in the context of genomic medicine

Introduction: the article considers the impact of genetic research on the constitutional status of the person and citizen and the changes in their legal personality. Purpose: to ana-lyze the legislation defining the relations in the sphere of genomic medicine, genetic engi-neering; to identify problems emerging as a result of recent achievements in this field and predetermining a new attitude to the concept of human in law, their rights and obligations, and their place in the system of constitutional values. Methods: the methodological frame-work of this research is based on the analysis of statutory regulation, technical, and compara-tive law methods. Results: there is a common practice to define a subject of constitutional rights and liberties using indefinite pronouns, which allows one to refer to this category not only humans but also objects of genetic manipulations (clones, chimeras). As a result, there appear initiatives to extend constitutional rights and liberties to animals as well. Such law-suits have many times been considered by the Supreme Court of the USA. Conclusions: it is shown that the development of genomic medicine is not taken into consideration in constitu-tional acts of most countries of the world. However, genetic engineering has now reached the level when its results can significantly impact on the human nature, changing it, among other things, by introducing animal DNA. Such experiments raise a question about assigning a spe-cial status to the human genome and proteome. It is necessary to protect the human nature from blurring of interspecies distinctions, from creating chimeras with Homo sapiens DNA. Recommendations are given to improve the legislation in the field of genomic medicine.