Three scientists from Stanford University have put forward an idea that can revolutionize medicine in an article published in MIT Technology Review: to produce “spare parts” for the human body …
This idea sounds like a script that has jumped out of science fiction films. Because the recommended method covers organ production using “clone people”. This creates a subject of great debate, both ethical and scientifically.
Clone people: Will it be produced only for “spare parts”?
Scientists argue that “clone human” models will not be conscious. In other words, these beings from the embryo to an adult body will be kept in constant coma and completely deprived of mental development. The aim is to enable organs of organs from these unconscious bodies. This idea seems to be a logical solution for some scientists who argue that modern medicine should overcome the limitations in cadaver and human body use due to ethical values. According to them, unconscious clone bodies can play an important role in accelerating medical development.
Medical science maintains its need for human bodies, from cadavers used in education to the cells and organ samples needed in experiments. However, the idea of meeting this need with clone bodies creates a whole new ethical problem. To what extent is it compatible with the values of the modern age, even producing a human being, even if it is a “clone”?
Some scientists remind you that there is a more reasonable solution to the focus of this discussion: the growing of a particular organ in the laboratory. For example, when a patient needs lung transplantation, the production of only a lung can be a much more acceptable solution than creating a clone body. Tissue engineering is intensively investigated in this field and can offer a more ethical alternative in the future.
The role of society and law
These studies are currently only in the discussion stage. However, no matter which method is chosen, the social and legal dimensions of the issue will have to be deeply handled. Cloning and organ production may be among the medical practices of the future, but this process should be compatible with the values and laws of the society. In the next quarter century, these discussions will come up more often and will occupy a large segment.
The idea of the use of clone bodies for spare organ production can be one of the most important scientific and ethical questions that humanity will face. This controversial aspect of technology promises to revolutionize medicine, while at the same time brings a great ethical dilemma. How to address this issue between scientists and society will determine the medical practices of the future.
