tag:help.sabf.org.ar,2010-10-06:/discussions/problems/354-essay-submissionSABF: Discussion 2017-04-16T23:46:41Ztag:help.sabf.org.ar,2010-10-06:Comment/423707202017-04-16T23:31:02Z2017-04-16T23:31:02ZEssay submission<div><p>Hi,</p>
<p>I'm very sorry about this inconvenience. Your case will be considered, so don't panic. If you'd like, you can send me your essay by email. My question is, the essay that is on apply.sabf.org.ar is the essay you tried to submit, right? I mean, is it finished?</p>
<p>Looking forward to your reply,</p>
<p>Luisina Busso<br>
Student Relations<br>
South American Business Forum</p></div>Luisina Bussotag:help.sabf.org.ar,2010-10-06:Comment/423707202017-04-16T23:37:30Z2017-04-16T23:37:31ZEssay submission<div><p>Dear Luisina Busso,</p>
<p>Attached below is my essay.</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>Regards</p>
<p>Jing Hui Fu</p>
<p>*Title: *HEALTH: Medical Innovation - Money medicine</p>
<p>"I have 3 kidneys."</p>
<p>"Oh, how so?"</p>
<p>"2 are mine. Another one, I got it from China."</p>
<p>Transplant medicine has always been a double-edged sword: a blessing in<br>
disguise, a blade in bold. Prior to this, the organ harvesting market<br>
evolves around 3 simple questions: "Where do I a kidney?" "Hush, want a<br>
kidney?" "Do you have enough money for a kidney?" Evidently, the priority<br>
of transplant medicine lies in the equilibrium between supply and demand,<br>
and in short, is very much business. The sources of organs include the<br>
death-row prisoners, and many more unexplained, sparking speculations that<br>
most are obtained illegally from victims who are persuaded, lured and<br>
trafficked. Over the years, many are horrified at the controversial<br>
prospect of exploiting the poor, the disadvantaged and thus, have openly condemned the practice of selling organs to the wealthier nations at<br>
various global occasions. Along with great efforts, world governments have<br>
passed and enforced many agreements and bills of legal framework to seek a<br>
balance between reduce suffering, advocating utilitarianism and equal human<br>
rights.</p>
<p>Most importantly, such practices are gradually hampered and reaching a halt<br>
as 3D bioprinting surfaces, widely claimed to be the gold standard of<br>
solving the issues of a long wait list and matching donors while saving millions of lives. Bioprinting is a new technology developed primarily to<br>
rapidly manufacture artificial organs via 3D printing method by<br>
constructing a particular organ layer-by-layer to form biological<br>
microstructures that resemble a natural organ anatomically and<br>
functionally. The obvious advantages are the likelihood of eradicating<br>
organ harvesting black market and the capability of protecting the poor<br>
from exploitation.</p>
<p>When 3D printing first gained global attention in 2012, no one has the<br>
slightest clue about building something great, besides producing some<br>
miniature legoes that hopefully fit together, let alone revolutionizing an<br>
entire industry. However, our world just proved the impact of a visionary<br>
innovation and how fast science progresses. Today, as the terms "empathetic<br>
healthcare", "personalised care" and "tailored treatment" dominate the<br>
medical profession, we see a future of surgical transplant medicine fading<br>
into background, replaced by 2-dimensional images that are structuralized<br>
into reality. Suddenly, clinicians and bioengineers are printing perfectly<br>
functioning bone tissues from mere existing scan results. Furthermore, this<br>
technology has proven visionary as many medical schools are contemplating<br>
about allowing students to practise their skills on artificial tissue<br>
scaffolds while studying the effects of drugs and their metabolism in real<br>
time. Moreover, many in the United States are taking a step ahead,<br>
considering the possibility of replacing prosthetics with bionic limbs to<br>
improve quality of life among war veterans.</p>
<p>The potential of organ printing is promising with an endless<br>
possibility. However,<br>
ethical issues are dismayingly legion. While many resented the idea of<br>
exploiting others' organs, the society is unable to decide what it thinks<br>
about 3D bioprinting. Among many, 3 ethical challenges are commonly<br>
elaborated.</p>
<p>1.</p>
<p>Is it safe?</p>
<p>This technology is undoubtedly new with tremendous room for growth. What do<br>
we currently know? We are informed that the materials are made of either<br>
our own or others' stem cells to promote cell multiplication and tissue<br>
regeneration while eliminating the risk of organ rejection which leads to<br>
the required use of lifelong steroids and consequently, potentially fatal<br>
immunosuppression, like in traditional organ transplants. They are<br>
therefore designed to be specifically compatible with our bodies. However,<br>
such technology has not, and cannot undergo a sizable clinical trial on the<br>
healthy population. This is because, like a bespoke customized suit, organ<br>
printing derived from stem cells are highly specific and individualised.<br>
Therefore, even if the artificial organs are proven to be safe and<br>
effective for use now, we will not be able to discover how long they would<br>
be safe for.</p>
<p>1.</p>
<p>Regulations and laws</p>
<p>While some dystopians are alarmed as we defy natural selections, many<br>
more celebrate<br>
the idea of alleviating suffering. However, the most pressing matter is d<br>
efining the purpose of an artificial organ which warrants ethical debates.<br>
Some scientists are ready to escalate the progress of technology, to discover a new anatomical direction – the idea of enhancing bodily functions,<br>
while businessmen desire to ride the tide of business opportunities in<br>
organ mass production. Do we design an artificial organ with the mere purpose<br>
of restoring functions, or to change the world by enhancing our abilities? Just<br>
like the gene-editing artificial fertilization technology that helps to<br>
eliminate genetic diseases yet choosing what genes are worthy to pass down,<br>
people are able to select what they want. Looking forward to a leap of<br>
faith, many push for organs that function beyond human capacities. They<br>
talk about the possibility of constructing livers that metabolizes ethanol<br>
instantaneously, hearts that pump fast enough to support a football team of<br>
Usain Bolt(s) and physiques that scream endurance. We certainly worry about<br>
not only the inhumane amplification of strength, but also the abuse of such<br>
power. Most importantly, our agony lies in the possibility of weaponization<br>
of both the bionic devies and ultimately, human ourselves, which<br>
potentially becomes a trigger of disruption to the peace our ancestors have<br>
thrived so hard to achieve in the past 50 years.</p>
<p>While unable to judge what is right, regulatory committee must be set up<br>
soon to monitor the direction of bioprinting under the scrutiny of laws and<br>
policies before it goes astray and uncontrolled.</p>
<p>1.</p>
<p>Who gets access?</p>
<p>Ask ourselves this question: Should the wealthy be able to live their lives<br>
as they wish and buy a liver in the future, while the poor lives cautiously<br>
only to die in vain later on? As replacing our organs with the enhanced one<br>
inevitably becomes a trend in future, those without financial background<br>
will most likely lose out at competing from the very beginning. The<br>
implementation of organ printing easily highlights, if not widens, the<br>
wealth disparities between the rich and the poor. It divides the society. This<br>
technology is new, revolutionizing, and certainly an expensive one. Without<br>
governmental subsidy, only the financially resourceful will have access to<br>
this innovation. It is saddening because although life encompasses many<br>
values, economic status will most probably become the strongest determinant in<br>
deciding who is most worthy of evolving.</p>
<p>Even if the national council approves endowment, who qualifies for an<br>
artificial organ- the war veterans or the congenitally limbless infant? Who<br>
decide- the doctors, the patients or the government? How do we ensure a<br>
fair distribution of healthcare provision and justice in this case? We need<br>
a definite answer to these questions.</p>
<p>In conclusion, 3D bioprinting has certainly transformed the industry<br>
of transplant<br>
medicine and leading the path with an exciting future of uncertainty. Are<br>
some people's existence based on the sole purpose of selling a part of them?<br>
No. This is why the world has put tremendous effort in fighting against<br>
illegal organ trades. However, as the power of organ printing emerges, the<br>
society seems to experience a misplaced sense of what is morally<br>
right. Therefore,<br>
it is of utmost quintessence to strike a clear, holistic balance between<br>
justice and empathy before reaching a general consensus of our<br>
attitudes towards<br>
this revolutionizing technology, as a society. More studies must be<br>
conducted to thoroughly understand the consequences of widely<br>
implementing organ<br>
printing. For now, all we can say is both the society and technology will<br>
adapt eventually. Personally, although technology has advanced<br>
exponentially, both traditional transplant medicine and 3D bioprinting share similar roots of concern: safety, justice and its ultimate purpose.<br>
Maybe we haven't progressed much in humanity, have we?</p>
<p><em>References:</em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583396/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583396/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/02/11/4161675.htm">http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/02/11/4161675.htm</a></p>
<p>Atala, Anthony. "Printing a Human Kidney". <em>TED Talk | Ted.com</em>.</p>
<p>Radenkovic, Dina; Solouk, Atefeh; Seifalian, Alexander (2016). "Personalized development of human organs using 3D printing technology". <em>Medical<br>
Hypotheses</em>. <em>87</em>: 30–3. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2015.12.017. PMID 26826637.</p></div>Jane Fu Jing Huitag:help.sabf.org.ar,2010-10-06:Comment/423707202017-04-16T23:43:00Z2017-04-16T23:43:02ZEssay submission<div><p>Sure. The essay is completed. Do I send the essay here, to this email <a href="mailto:tender+df4039a450@tenderapp.com">tender+df4039a450@tenderapp.com</a> or to another email?</p>
<p>Thank you<br>
Regards<br>
Jing Hui Fu</p></div>Jing Hui Futag:help.sabf.org.ar,2010-10-06:Comment/423707202017-04-16T23:46:40Z2017-04-16T23:46:40ZEssay submission<div><p>Thank you very much,</p>
<p>You are considered an applicant.</p>
<p>Best of wishes,</p>
<p>Luisina Busso<br>
Student Relations<br>
South American Business Forum</p></div>Luisina Busso