So, I have no idea how to sculpt, nor do I have any artistic skills, nor do I have any clue on how to create a prosthetic hand on sketchup. So, without further ado, here is my “hand sculpture” !!!

I created it similar to the Lego men’s arms and hands, seeing as how prosthetic arms and legs are similar in that aspect. Obviously with biotech, the aspiration is to create a fully functioning hand/arm that’s not just a cylinder with a hexagonal prism. But, due to constraints and lack of talent, let’s use our imagination and view this as a finely sculpted arm.

As mentioned in my last blog post, I was not able to interview someone in the specified field of biotech/bioprinting, however i have interviewed friends about this subject. A fellow student of mine has listed some pros and cons of bioprinting:

Pros

1. Faster and more precise than traditional methods of building organs by hand.

2. Less prone to human error.

3. Less laborious for scientists.

4. Organs unlikely to be rejected after transplantation.

5. Reduced organ trafficking.

6. Decreased waiting times for organ donors.

7. Decreased animal testing.

8. Finished products are independent of biomaterial or scaffolding absent in native tissues.

9. Effects of disease states or drugs may be more accurately observed without the need for human subjects.

10. Reproducibility of tissue is ensured through tight control of both composition and geometry; reduced variability.

11. Well-organized, diverse cell types allow enhancement of tissue-specific functions.

Cons

1. Questions of liability if a printed object fails.
2. Disputed ownership of the codes and implants produced.¹⁵
3. Various ethical concerns.
4. Pricing; availability to only the wealthy.
5. Consumption of large amounts of energy.
6. Emission of unhealthy particles into the air.
7. Difficulty in maintaining cell environment, resulting in the death of many cells.

I feel like the pros outweigh the cons. No matter what we do, there will always be an ethical backlash to our actions. Fossil fuels is probably the most prominent example of this. Killing the earth for our ease of life -> recreating “spare parts” to replace our old selves with. Is it really worth it? I certainly think so, however the sacredness of the human life will definitely diminish.

The current stage of bioprinting, according to 3dprint.com, is very advanced, but nothing that can substantially shake society as we know it. So far, bioprinting has successfully printed heart valves, various tissues, and cells. The aspirations is to one day reach that pinnacle of advanced regeneration by “reprinting” our cells. There is nothing much more to say, as i could not get in touch with a scientist nor anyone else with substantial knowledge in order to interview for more information.

So in terms of research and “scholarly articles”, I’ve found it pretty difficult seeing as biotech is still a very new subject. I’ve also included some scholarly articles in my Second Post. For the Step 2 of my final blog post, I have not found any commercial case of bioprinting for amputees. All I’ve found was the Pros and Cons, the effects it has had in markets, and the promises it brings.