The idea of growing artificial body parts and organs is not new and is used in many areas of medicine. However, scientists recently announced their wish to promote this field by growing very human -like bodies without a brain.
Looking for a solution for the acute shortage of human organs for transplantation and research, scientists are looking for unusual solutions that can dispute conventional wisdom and moral standards.
In a recent scientific article they discussed the concept of creating “bodyoids” lab-grown human bodies created from pluripotent stem cells. These beings would be designed in such a way that they would not have a consciousness or the ability to feel pain, the research promises, writes Popular mechanics.
Pluripotent stem cells have the remarkable ability to differentiate in every cell type in the human body. Progress in stem cell research has enabled scientists to simulate the early stages of human embryonic development, and the progress in artificial uterine technology has extended the possibilities for developing human tissue outside the body, according to their discussion in MIT Technology Review.
By using genetic techniques to suppress the development of the brain, the researchers suggest that these “bodyoids” can serve as a renewable source of organs and tissue without the ethical concerns related to conscious living beings.
The ethical issues surrounding such creatures are complex. Although the prospect of creating human bodies without consciousness seems frightening for many, proponents claim that potential medical benefits deserve serious consideration.
The authors acknowledge that the concept can cause discomfort for a large part of people, but emphasize the importance of finding innovative solutions to alleviate human suffering that those who need donor organs persist.
This approach is consistent with constant research into organoids – miniature, simplified versions of artificially created organs that mimic important functional and structural aspects of real organs.
Organoids play an important role in studying development, disease progression and drug response and previously offer unreachable insights. Creating “bodyoids” can be an important jump forward, offering more complete models for medical research and potential therapeutic applications.
As science progresses, the dialogue around the creation and the use of such donor bodies must evolve parallel, the scientists say. A well -considered discussion about the ethical, social and scientific aspects of this technology is needed to navigate through the challenges and opportunities it offers.
“While we continue, the ethical and social issues are at least as important as the scientific,” the authors wrote. “Even if it seems possible, it will determine whether we should make bodyoids, not -human or human, considerable thinking, discussion and debate.”
