On April 12, the Bioethics Society of Boston College hosted a talk with Dr. Roger Kamm, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), over Zoom. The talk, titled “The Promise and Perils of Multi-Cellular Engineered Living Systems,” explained what multi-cellular engineered living systems (M-CELS) are and their current and potential applications, and discussed some bioethical questions involved with their development and application.
M-CELS are a number of systems made from existing cells of varying types assembled in a way that creates “a new and useful type of system that is entirely biological in nature,” as Kamm described. Various stimuli, such as biochemical, genetic, electrical, and mechanical cues, are used to drive cells into undergoing certain interactions with each other and potentially affecting the behavior of the system.
Kamm mentioned the ongoing work in his lab at MIT in microphysiological systems, working to create M-CELS that replicate the form and function of real organs. This project uses patient-specific cells, such as biopsy samples or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), cells taken from a living source such as the skin and artificially reverted to a state where the cell can produce any desired type of cell, to create such systems.
Kamm also discussed previous research surrounding the creation of organoids, which are small structures grown from iPS used to replicate the function of a particular organ, such as a brain or a liver, as well as research surrounding “biobots,” which use certain cell types, such as muscle or nerve cells, to create robots with the capability to respond to stimuli for actions such as motion.
Kamm argued for a need for “bioengineering ethics” as an area that “lies between biomedical ethics and engineering ethics,” and that such an area would require collaboration between those with a scientific background and those with an ethical background. Kamm noted some potential future consequences of M-CELS research, proposing that in the future there may be organoids, microphysiological systems, or biobots that could reproduce, communicate, adapt to their environment, evolve, or model human function, or even potentially “exceed our natural ability to function.”
Some ethical considerations proposed by Kamm were the point at which a biological machine becomes a living organism, what features distinguish them from each other, the necessary considerations if a biological machine can self-repair or learn, and questions involved in tissue engineering, such as the engineering of a brain that has capabilities that exceed those of natural human brains.
Kamm then proposed some hypothetical situations for consideration: engineered liver tissue designed to remove toxins from the body, brain implants designed to control 3D-printed limbs, and a bioengineered pancreas that expresses a fluorescent signal if glucose levels fall out of a certain range. Kamm stated that “all of these sound like probably good things in terms of benefiting society and medical advances.”
As for situations that could lead to misuse, Kamm proposed the use of “designer muscles” to increase performance and retinal implants to allow vision in the infrared spectrum for the purpose of night vision.
During the question and answer session, Kamm responded to a question regarding equitable access to potential developments in M-CELS research. He noted that potential technologies such as “designer muscles,” retinal implants for night vision, and brain implants improving thought processes would not likely be covered by medical insurance and would pose a problem in terms of equitable distribution. Kamm stated that such discussions are already happening in the genetic engineering community and should also happen in the context of M-CELS.
Another question asked how M-CELS could potentially be used to enhance the lives of those in resource-poor communities, to which Kamm answered that in the nearest term, would probably be in the development of tissue-engineered organs. Kamm mentioned the shortage of artificial organs for transplant patients, and that engineered organs, if they could be mass-produced, could potentially reduce this shortage.
The last question involved the ethics of patenting life-saving technologies. Kamm acknowledged the need to provide companies with an incentive to develop life-saving technologies, but also stated that, although he believes intellectual property issues are important to address, he does not believe that intellectual property issues “are a barrier in this field,” as interactions between cells themselves are generally not patentable.
Featured image courtesy of Matt Harasymczuk via Flickr
Adam is a senior from Columbus, Ohio. He previously served as Campus News and Culture Editor, and boasts the title of least cultured to ever serve as the latter. Holding a minor in Biology, he recently converted from STEM and now majors in Philosophy and Classical Studies. He currently leads Una Voce, the Latin Mass society at BC, and sings with the University Chorale of Boston College and the Chorale Chamber Singers. He enjoys Gregorian Chant, relearning the clarinet, and is an unabashed Ohio apologist.
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