Fiction to futuristic: Bioprinting and its questionable consequences

It is common to experience a fall and sustain injuries, which often result in damaged skin. However, have you ever considered the possibility of replacing damaged skin with fresh skin? Thanks to bioprinting, a relatively new field of science, this possibility is now within our reach. By utilizing a printer to "print" living tissues, this innovative technology has the potential to produce skin grafts and even entire organs. Nevertheless, there are significant ethical concerns surrounding bioprinting, one of which is related to the possibility of creating complete human beings. Join us as we delve into the origins of this groundbreaking science and explore the ethical questions it presents.

The Origin Story

Bioprinting traces its humble origins to 1984, which was a milestone year for 3D printing in general. It was the year when a man named Charles Hull developed the first method to create models made of resins.

In the subsequent years, research was being conducted about swapping these resins for cell membranes and other biomaterials. The field gained significant momentum in the 1990s with the introduction of inkjet printing. Researchers tinkered with the printers by swapping the regular inks with a fluid composed of cells and nutrients. They tried depositing this bio-ink drop-by-drop on a pre-planned layout.

Soon, in the early 2000s, inkjets were swapped for nozzles where tissue fluids could be deposited in a more precise manner. It marked another major milestone with the printing of the first organ. This led to further developments including the printing of working blood vessels and scaffolds that could be substituted for cartilage. All these synthetic tissues were tested for any rejection from the user and were slowly attached to human subjects. Today, bioprinting has reached the stage where complete and functional organs and skin grafts can be printed with minimal chance of rejection.

How It’s Made ( Robocop wants to know your location)

The process of bioprinting comprises three steps. These steps are general steps followed during the printing of any organic material.

The first step is creating a model of the tissue in any design software. The base of the design is sourced from MRI or CT scans of the patient to ensure maximum cohesion. The design decides the shape and structure of the tissue and is a rough estimate of how the printed material will look.

Next comes the preparation of the bio-ink. This is synthesized in a lab from the cells of the patient. The cells are allowed to multiply and mixed with a hydrogel solution which provides oxygen and nutrients to the cells to prevent them from perishing. Different cells require different compositions of nutrients and thorough analysis is conducted before mixing them. The cells are suspended in the solution to prevent them from settling at the bottom.

Finally, the design is given to the printer to read, the bio-ink is filled into the ink cartridge and the printer is ready to print. Printing can be done in 2D or 3D, depending on the design and printer model. After printing, the tissue cell network is stored in nutrient solutions and treated with UV light and ionic solutions to promote cross-linkage of cell layers, thereby achieving structural stability.

The Dilemma.

With advancements in bioprinting, it is now possible to print multiple organs from scratch which can be used right away. This raises the question of how much we want to print. Though a revolutionary technology, bioprinting cannot be performed on a large scale due to high costs.

But what if it could? Imagine having a bioprinter at home and whenever you felt incomplete, you could just print whatever you desired. One could just opt for plastic surgery whenever one wants to because they have skin grafts. Though reducing medical costs and organ donors, this poses an ethical question as well. New facial features or other parts can be printed and attached at whim, ensuing madness. Everyone would want to “upgrade” themselves and look like what they consider better versions of themselves. Soon, this technology could be developed enough to print entire humans. This may lead to the trend of “designer babies”, where people would give specifications on how they want their child to be, and said child could be printed with a touch of a button.

All these possibilities raise the question of how much we are allowed to play God. These questions were posed when plastic surgery became mainstream. People will undergo the procedure but remain discreet about it. With the advent of bioprinting, such practices will become as easy as printing a document.

Conclusion

Bioprinting is a technology with the potential to revolutionize the landscape of medicine. Drug trials need not be human but could be performed on synthetic organs. Research will not be restricted due to the unavailability of materials, and industries will become streamlined, increasing efficiency and reducing overall costs. However, concerns may be raised about its usage en-masse. Only time will tell if it proves to be beneficial or if it's just a Pandora’s Box, waiting to be opened.

References:

1.https://www.cellink.com/blog/bioprintingexplainedsimply/#:~:text=Bioprinting%20explained%20(simply!),that%2 0let%20li ving%20cells%20multiply.

2. Development of 3D bioprinting: From printing methods to biomedical applications, Zeming Gu-September 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajps.2019.11.003