The Impact Of 3d Printing On An Ethical Point Of View

The importance of ethical issues is often understated in public knowledge. Embryonic stem cell research should be of the utmost importance in the American society due to increased federal funding and the promises research in this field hold. As with many other controversies, embryonic stem cell research can be described as a dispute between religion and science due to the destruction of a viable human embryo. Depending on the status an individual grants an embryo will likely determine their stance on the issue. Next, many changes in legality and public acceptance have prompted leaders to increase funding and expand research nationally. Since taxpayers’ dollars are at work, the public should be aware of this prevalent and advancing ethical issue and be informed of its specifics. The public should also be aware of the advancements in healthcare that this research promise. Due to the changes in funding and legality, many discoveries have been made, pushing this science further. Many scientists believe embryonic stem cell research holds the key to curing many bodily injuries and deadly diseases such as spinal cord and brain injuries, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Also, many scientists conceive that, in the future, it will be possible to “grow” human organs from an individual’s stem cells for transplantation. The latter are only a few of the plethora of anticipated and promised treatments research in this field holds. Lastly,

Lastly, one of the main ethical issues discussed concerning stem cell research originates in the fact that embryonic stem cells have to be generated from embryos that are destroyed in the process. This means that stem cell research again raises the question of whether there are any ethical limits concerning the destruction of human embryos for research of therapeutic purposes, as well as the most fundamental question of the moral status of the human embryo. (Holm p. 10) If human embryos have any moral status we need a good explanation to destroy them, and the greater their moral status the more important or weighty the justification has to be. In the case of embryonic stem cell research, it is impossible to respect both moral principles. To

Most people see medical advancements as beneficial because they can improve the quality of life for many people, but others would argue that those benefits come at a price. In the case of stem cell research the benefit would be saving lives while the price would be embryonic destruction. Furthermore, the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley identifies that much like the debate on stem cell research, technology has ethical boundaries. Furthermore, Shelley’s view that technology becomes monstrous when it crosses ethical boundaries was an unintentional prediction of the future, and is still relevant in today’s society as it relates to medical advancements such as stem cell research.

Embryonic stem cells research has challenged the moral ethics within human beings simply because the point at which one is considered a “human,” is still under debate and practically incapable to make a decision upon.

Tran’s article, “To Bioprint or to not Bioprint”, he basically looks at both sides of the issue and breaks down a lot of the facts behind it. Jasper seems to be more focused on the regulation side of things and what would happen if it were banned. He believes that if banned, there would be a black market created specifically for bioprinting due to its popular demand. This would be unregulated and very dangerous. Although the technology is not here yet, soon it is believed that a clone could be printed from the bottom up. If this new technology hits the market it would obviously be very expensive which would divide the rich and poor even more as well as possibly creating a new type of culture war. Jasper shows his views as he explains, “If bioprinting is made legal, then when will we ever know when to stop? When a brain transplant is possible, is it okay to use a bioprinted brain even though it risks loosing one’s identity, character, and physical developments?” (Tran, Jasper

In his work, “Introduction: Nanotechnology, Society, and Ethics”, CalPoly Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick Lin writes, “Let’s take a step back and consider any given technology we have created: gunpowder, the printing press, the camera, the automobile, nuclear power, the computer, Prozac, Viagra, the mobile phone, the Internet. Undoubtedly, these have brought us much good, but each has also changed society in important, fundamental ways and caused new problems, such as increased pollution, urban sprawl, cyber-crimes, privacy concerns, intellectual property concerns, drug dependencies, new cases of sexually-transmitted diseases, other unintended health problems, mutually-assured destruction and much more. The point here is not that we would have been better off without these inventions. Rather, we should come to terms that our creations can have unintended or unforeseen consequences” (Lin, n.d., p. 1). Lin’s point goes across the board for all technologies, there will be unforeseen consequences, some will be good and some will certainly be perceived as bad.

The medical advances of donor organs and organ transplants have made incredible leaps and bounds in recent decades. Today we can grow stem cells from normal skin tissues, but there are still ethical arguments against the practice of using stem cells for medical procedures. Being able to produce these stem cells from our body tissues is a huge bound forward in medical advances. With that, it is possible to create an organ for the individual who needs it; increasing the organ's viability and ability to be used; ensuring there is no damage or contaminates from donor organs. Now of course even lab-grown organs have its list of ethical backlash that it has faced in recent years. Medical professionals and scientists are already growing organs

While 3D printing brings the promise of innovation and creativity to many, it brings fear to others; fear of 3-D printed weapons, intellectual property infringement, and safety issues with CAD designs. As such, 3D printing raises both ethical and regulatory issues for the society.

The abilities of stem cells sound wonderful to many people, but there are also those who find an ethical and moral dilemma regarding the use of stem cells. In the article Stem Cell Factsheet, from EuroStemCell, last updated March 23, 2011, it is stated that “Embryonic stem cell research poses a moral dilemma. It forces us to choose between two moral principles:

Cartoons and movies around the world have shown the idea of regenerating limbs. Regenerating limbs might seem like a fantasy, but the idea might turn into a reality. STEM cells have biologist in awe. From healing scars to giving a person a completely new copy of their own heart, the capabilities and possibilities are endless. Yet some might argue that it is not right and the way to extract STEM cells is not ethical. The arguments can go on forever and ever. The way of extracting STEM cells is very controversial, but the practice can save millions of lives because they can be used to copy organs, create new organs, kill of many diseases.

The field of engineering includes many different careers that involve a large range of skill sets. Biomedical Engineering combines basic engineering skills with an understanding of biology and anatomy to design and build systems that will produce artificial internal organs, artificial devices to replace body parts, and machines that will help diagnose medical problems and diseases. Since the field is still very new and growing, it is not all that well known yet. But recently many ethical questions have been raised within the field. Some people are not okay with artificial organs being produced and other think it is the new future. Despite those feelings many new companies that deal with this field are being founded and research is continuing to grow. In years to come new medical advancements will be published because of the work of many biomedical

Imagine, one day, being able to own your own biological repair kit, designed specifically for your body. This repair kit could have the ability to heal you from the majority of injuries or diseases, without fear of rejection or mechanical parts. This all could potentially be possible with the proper research into stem cells to treat injury or disease. However, the procedures followed for the research of stem cells have stirred up a hefty amount of controversy in the past and the present. Stem Cell research has been argued to be an ethical choice due to its possibilities for simplified treatments in the future, yet it is controversial due to the destruction of embryos, and the undecided moral status of the embryo, which is why

Ethics - better known as the difference between morally correct and incorrect - play a major role in today’s scientific research and events. Two sources of major ethical questioning in biotechnology are stem cell research and/or use as well as gene therapy. Both areas have enabled science to make immense strides toward cures to various diseases and disorders, however, if left with no parameters, both stem cells and gene therapy may be used inappropriately, or worse, unethically.

The ethical questions surrounding stem cell research are split into two divergent points: the pursuit of medical research in order to develop old and create new therapeutics and cures versus the preservation and respect of human and embryonic life. As a populace, these are the two issues we must acknowledge to ensure we reflect the morals and values of our

The paper will then focus on how the public opinion can affect stem cells research and the main factor that shapes different opinions on this controversial topic. Lastly, this paper will discuss regulations of stem cells. Given the number of countries that are currently experimenting with stem cells, this essay will only discuss the regulations imposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Health Institute (NIH), both agencies of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The scope of this paper does not include ethical, religious and/or moral issues.