What are the ethical issues of bioprinting?
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What are the ethical issues of bioprinting?
Ethical challenge: ethics of untested paradigms: living cells. 3D bioprinting remains an untested clinical paradigm and is based on the use of living cells placed into a human body; there are risks including teratoma and cancer, dislodgement and migrations of implant. This is risky and potentially irreversible.
Is it ethical to 3D print organs?
However, we believe that the technology of 3D printing of human organs using autologous iPSC in bioink is not ethically neutral. It also has a number of problematic aspects, even if the bioinks are derived from the patient’s own cells. The technology of cell reprogramming is also very far from perfect.
What are the ethical issues of 3D printing?
Three ethical issues that are raised are: justice in access to health care, testing for safety and efficacy, and whether these technologies should be used to enhance the capacity of individuals beyond what is ‘normal’ for humans.
What organs have been successfully Bioprinted?
Currently the only organ that was 3D bioprinted and successfully transplanted into a human is a bladder. The bladder was formed from the hosts bladder tissue.
Are there currently any bioprinting regulations?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focuses on the regulation of 3D printed organs. FDA so far has only released guidance on 3DP, and the recommendations do not cover bioprinting. A significant concern in the United States is that 3D printed organs do not fit into any clear category of law.
Is bioprinting the future of organ transplants?
Bioprinted tissue holds a wealth of promise for the future of healthcare. Tissue can be utilized for drug development and safety, as well as other medical research efforts. In the future, the aim is to create replacement organs for patients in need of a transplant.
Does bioprinting provide benefits to society?
Bioprinting can produce living tissue, bone, blood vessels and, potentially, whole organs for use in medical procedures, training and testing.
What are the pros and cons of 3D printing organs?
Pros & Cons
- Faster and more precise than traditional methods of building organs by hand.
- Less prone to human error.
- Less laborious for scientists.
- Organs unlikely to be rejected after transplantation.
- Reduced organ trafficking.
- Decreased waiting times for organ donors.
- Decreased animal testing.
What is the cost of bioprinting?
However, current commercially available 3D bioprinters have a high cost (10,000–150,000$) and low customization capacity, while they also require costly consumables and highly skilled staff for operation and maintenance, limiting their applicability.
What material is used in 3D bioprinting?
A large variety of polymers are under research for the use in bioprinting technology. Natural polymers, including collagen [20], gelatin [21], alginate [22], and hyaluronic acid (HA) [23], and synthetic polymers, such as PVA [24] and polyethylene glycol (PEG), are commonly used in bioinks for 3D printing.
What are the drawbacks of bioprinting?
Inkjet 3D bioprinting
| Bioprinting method | Inkjet 3D bioprinting | Laser-assisted 3D bioprinting (LAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Lack of precision in droplet placement and size, need for low viscosity bioink | Time consuming, high cost |
| Effect on cells | >85% cell viability1 | >95% cell viability1 |
| Cost | Low | High |
What are the pros and cons of bioprinting?
Inkjet 3D bioprinting
| Bioprinting method | Inkjet 3D bioprinting |
|---|---|
| Advantages | High speed, availability, low cost |
| Disadvantages | Lack of precision in droplet placement and size, need for low viscosity bioink |
| Effect on cells | >85% cell viability1 |
| Cost | Low |
What can be Bioprinted?
Bioprinting can produce living tissue, bone, blood vessels and, potentially, whole organs for use in medical procedures, training and testing. The cellular complexity of the living body has resulted in 3D bioprinting developing more slowly than mainstream 3D printing.
