Presentation. Questioning about an upcoming reality : Ethical issues raised by a new technology, and the solutions it could provide.

1. Questioning about an upcoming reality :
Ethical issues raised by a new technology,
and the solutions it could provide.

2. Short Introduction :
Not a reality for now…
…But lots of breakhtroughts !
2013 – 3D Printed ear
with a cochlear
implant
2011 – 3D Printed kiddney
prototype
2013 – 3D Biopen that
draw with stem cells

3. Transhumanism : the main issue to face
Definition :
Intellectual and Cultural movement
adovocating the use of advanced technologies
to Develop/Improve human physical and
mental abilities
Where, when and from what :
- California
- During the 70s
- From the Scientism : everything can be
explained thanks to science.
Often consider as Posthumanism.
Symbole of Transhumanism

4.  Ethical imperative of perfectionnism
 Taking Control of our evolution
 Promotion of Eugenism
 Handicap, Suffering, Aging and Death not accepted
Transhumanism takes a lot of ideas from
Californian eugenism !
Common Principles :

5. Many transhumanist sub-groups :

6. What could be the possibilities?
 Create organs that doesn’t exist ?
 Create hybride organs (human + an other species)?
 Create an entire human with selected genes and
variants… and then a clone army ?
 But if an error occurs ? Should we
put this human in a trash ?
Scene from the film Star Wars II
Movie Poster of GATTACA

7. About feelings of people transplanted:
 Dehumanization / Loss of Identity
 Feeling like a Sub-human or an Improved human ?
 Feeling like a Monster
 If one day we never die ? always repaired…
… How it feels to be immortal ?

8. Putting a price on life ?
 Abolition of the organ donation principle.
 Creating an organ will need raw materials and will
therefore cost money
 Life will be no more priceless…
 Difference in the care of patients if he is rich/poor ?.

9. Creating synthetic organs could be a pandora
box without strict control…
…But it could be a solution to solve many
problems

10. Example of organ trade in China:
The persecution of the Falun Gong practitioners
Symbol of the Falun
Gong practitioners
Falun Gong is a kind of buddhism, an art of
living.
Persecuted by the China’s government since
1999.
Locked in labor camps. used for organ
transplantation when needed.
Maybe the biggest organ trade at a global level.
How synthetic organs could put an end to human
exploitation :

11.  Some hospitals sell organs transplant operation.
 Concentration camps works like a Bank of organs.
 When someone needs a transplantation, a practioner
is seleted by matching HLA compatibility in a camp,
and then he is sacrificed.
 The organs are send to the hospital where the receiver
wait… while the body of the donnor is burn in a
crematory oven…
 Main argument : the waiting time = 2 to 3 weeks.

12. Some examples of this organ trade :
No statistics available. Mmaybe thousands of Falun Gong
practitioners died like this…
Probably still dying like this…
Elements from the home page of a promotion
website for transplantation in China.
WANG Bin, a Falun Gong
practitioners died in
October 4, 2000. After
being beating to death, his
heart and his brain were
withdrawn.

13. In 2009 the chinese government said that it will stop the organ trade.
Kidney $ 62 000
Liver $ 98 000 – 130 000
Kidney + Liver $ 160 000 – 180 000
Kidney + Pancreas $ 150 000
Lung $ 150 000 – 170 000
Heart $ 130 000 – 160 000
Cornea $ 30 000
Price of transplants in China : June 2009 :
In 2014 it shut down every websites that promoted organ
transplantation for foreigners…
…However the organ trade continues
Price of transplants in China : May 2014
Kidney $ 60 000 – 88 000
Liver $ 137 000 – 169 000
Lung $ 215 000 – 243 000
Heart $ 137 000 – 169 000
Cornea $ 31 000
Pancreas $ 93 000 – 129 000

14. Today in 2015 :
• Most websites are shut down
• The government published a list of more than 160
hospitals approved for organ transplants
But :
• Example of a travel guide praising the kidney
transplant in a hospital
In 2015 almost nothing change, but the trade is more
discreet…

15. How creating synthetic organs can change this
situation ?
• There are 1 372 685 000 inhabitant in China (2015)
• In China more than 1.5 Millions of people are
waiting for a transplantation (2013)
• 1448 legal « after-death donations » made between
2010 and 2013
• 1500 legal « after-death donations » in 2014
An increasing number of legal donation…
…But still very far from real needs.

16. Comparison with France :
 18 976 people waiting for a transplantation (2013)
 5123 legal donations (2013)
The situation in
China is more
alarming !

17. Creating synthetic organs could be the solution :
 Put an end to organ harvesting of Falun Gong
Practitioners
 Enhance organs traceability
 Respond to the demand of transplant efficiently
Misused for commercial purposes…
Source of a new advanced organ trade ?

18. Creation of synthetic organs :
An issue of the 21st century
Require strong laws to restrict the use of these
technologies
A solution to worldwide public health
enhancement

19. Thank you all
for watching !
Questions ?

20. References :
 Video TED « Anthony Atala: Printing a human kidney » :
http://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_printing_a_human_kidney#t-80531
 3D Printed Bionic Ears ; Manu S. Mannoor†, Ziwen Jiang†, Teena James§, Yong Lin Kong†, Karen A.
Malatesta†, Winston O. Soboyejo†, Naveen Verma‡, David H. Gracias§, and Michael C. McAlpine†,* ; Nano
Lett. 2013 June 12; 13(6): 2634–2639. doi:10.1021/nl4007744 : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23635097
 Bioprinting technology and its applications. Seol YJ1, Kang HW1, Lee SJ1, Atala A1, Yoo JJ2.
 Biopen to rewrite orthopaedic implants surgery. 4 December, 2013 :
http://media.uow.edu.au/news/UOW162803.html
 Le trafic d’organes en Chine : « les prélèvements douteux sur les prisonniers de conscience, un trafic
étatique. » Pierre ABBATE & Kévin BASSEMON Octobre 2014 : http://www.fichier-pdf.fr/2014/05/26/le-
trafic-d-organes-chinois/le-trafic-d-organes-chinois.pdf
 Site d’information du don d’organes en France : http://www.dondorganes.fr
 Why China will struggle to end organ harvesting from executed prisoners ; December 5, 2014 :
 http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/05/world/asia/china-prisoners-organs/
 EPOCH TIMES PARIS N°279 16 JUN 2014 Page 5.

21.  List of hospitals that are approved for organ transplant projects ; 2014-06-25 :
http://en.nhfpc.gov.cn/2014-06/25/content_17614528.htm
 Hospitals and Clinics in Beijing :
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/hospital.htm
 Wikipedia : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falun_Gong
 BLOODY HARVEST, Revised Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong
Practitioners in China ; by David Matas and David Kilgour ; 31 January 2007 :
http://organharvestinvestigation.net/report0701/report20070131-eng.pdf
 China vows to end organ transplants from death row prisoners ; 04 Dec 2014 :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/11273208/China-vows-to-end-organ-
transplants-from-death-row-prisoners.html
 Number of inhabitants in China : http://countrymeters.info/fr/China
 Film STAR WARS Episode II
 Film GATTACA