Introduction:
There has been a recent surge in the use of three-dimensional biomaterial printing (3D bioprinting) for a wide range of innovative experimental therapeutic applications ranging from orthopedic patient-specific transplants to custom-made biodegradable bronchial implants. With its potential to overcome the scarcity of donated organs and the possibility of even using ones cells to fabricate tissue or organ replacements, 3D bioprinting can be seen as a novel emerging technology for the treatment of pathological conditions including organ failure, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis, and countless others. Despite initial successes and high medical hopes for 3D bioprinting, it is not free of ethical challenges – it presents severe risks of irreversible harms to patients and forces us to revisit questions about the use of stem cells to biofabricate human materials and their subsequent use within the health care system. As such, this symposium aims to map and critically assess new ethical frontiers associated with 3D bioprinting by drawing upon the expertise of various doctors, scientists, ethicists, and policy analysts.
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