Page 12 - IJB-6-3
P. 12

Bioethical and legal issues in 3D bioprinting
           human [5-7]  and animal models [8-10]  bioprinting, we   of “human enhancement” , the issues of
                                                                                          [19]
           became much closer to the ultimate goal.            “technological  design”  youth  extension,  and
                                                                                     [20]
             Now comes the next stage, which can be            even “technological  immortality”  of a human
           called the stage of “evangelism” which is the       being. “Technological  immortality”  programs
           demonstration of the possibilities of bioprinting   can  be  divided  into  two  groups:  Rejuvenation
           application for solving a number of problems in     technologies (stopping the aging program) and
           medicine.  The bioprinting approach has already     consciousness transfer  technology  (unloading  of
           been used to address problems in transplantology,   the  human  personality).  New  organs  bioprinting
           regenerative  medicine,  and  even  in  the  field   and replacing the old organs with them belongs to
           of reproduction. Printed tissues are used in        the rejuvenation technologies  which raises the
                                                                                           [21]
           experimental pharmacology research for drugs and    question of indications and limits of application of
           toxicity testing and in cosmetology [11,12] . Naturally,   bioprinting technologies.
           the  prospect  of replacing  diseased  organs with    One of the first issues related to the development
           healthy ones can be interpreted as a weal. It can not   of organs and tissues bioprinting is the question of
           only solve the issue of organ and tissue shortage   the feasibility of developing these technologies
           for transplantation but can also overcome a number   and the moral validity of it.  Why and for what
           of ethical problems related to transplantation. The   purpose are we ready to print organs? The answer
           bioprinting technologies can also contribute to     seems obvious, based on the need for organ
           the emergence of a new paradigm in medicine –       transplantation, the shortage of organ donation
           personalized  medicine , including  personalized    around the world. The development of technology
                                [13]
           drug delivery . Successes in the field of bioprinting   can help save the lives of a very large number
                       [14]
           announce the promising possibility for replacing    of people.  The majority  of  governmental and
           bones, cartilage, blood vessels, and internal organs   international organizations now see this technology
           (heart, kidneys, liver, etc.) in humans. Research   as morally justified if it has a therapeutic effect.
           is underway in the field of reproductive medicine   As G. B. Yudin observes: “The main platform for
           using bioprinting technologies, in particular, the   justifying the widespread use of biotechnology
           biofabrication of artificial ovaries [15-18] .      is  provided  by the  utilitarian philosophy.”
             However, as for every new technology, the ethical   Undoubtedly, there are gradations here  –  from
           and legal norms of 3D bioprinting will have a long   radical transhumanism, which recognizes no limits
           way until they establish. In this work, we will address   for technological improvement of a human being
           the ethical and legal problems of human organ 3D    (human enhancement), to more cautious versions,
           bioprinting. We will highlight the issues of artificial   which recognize the social risks of human change.
           ovary biofabrication, as this unique technology     In general, however, the utilitarian framework of
           concerns not only patients’ health but also the health   ethical thought is more inclined to protect human
           and well-being of future offspring. In the end, we   modification  projects  as  they  are  driven  by  the
           will formulate a number of recommendations for      individual’s desire for self-improvement and a
           the regulation of this field of scientific research and   better life . The scope of medical biotechnologies
                                                                        [22]
           medical practice in the future.                     is becoming wider and increasingly blurred, and it
                                                               is already difficult to distinguish between therapy
           2 Bioethical and legal issues of 3D bioprinting     and human improvement . It is also very important
                                                                                      [23]
           2.1 Current and possible directions of bioethical   to pay attention to the speed at which these
           discussions  related to the emergence and           technologies develop to identify and study ethical
           development of 3D-bioprinting                       problems  before  a  therapeutic  3D  bioprinting  is
                                                               ready for widespread use in patients .
                                                                                                 [24]
           The development  of bioprinting  technologies         3D bioprinting deserves special  attention
           raises deep questions related to the very           as the utilization of viable cells  in the printing
           human     nature,   biotechnological    projects    process creates particular  ethical  and regulatory

           8                           International Journal of Bioprinting (2020)–Volume 6, Issue 3
   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17