Sci-fi Meets Sexual Dysfunction
I'm sure there's a Bobbitt joke out there somewhere concerning this latest breakthrough in bioengineering...(for those who have no idea of what I am talking about, you can read a synopsis of what happened in the early 90s by following a "where are they now"-type of story at this hyperlink).
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| For more information concerning bioengineering, check out UC Denver's program. |
Why? Is it to bolster male ego? No, their goal is to actually replace sexual organs that have been mutilated, those born with devastating defects, and those whose members have lost function due to diseases, such as penile cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure (to name a few).
This is not the first organ successfully bioengineered. Human bladders and vaginas have also been synthesized successfully and have been implanted. The penis, however, has been a great undertaking, scanning more than 20 years. It is quite the remarkable achievement due to the complexity of the organ. Not only is its shape more complex than previous bioengineered organs, but it must also be capable of a plethora of functions (and flexibility) for proper full-use.
FDA approval for full-penis replacement is still a long time in the process. The scientists are initially hoping to perform partial replacements first (i.e. damaged tissue replacements or reconstructions of malformed members). For a more complete story of this topic, along with a historical review of other bioengineering feats, please read the Guardian's story at the link below:
The lab-grown penis: approaching a medical milestone
I have to admit, I wasn't exactly sure how I should respond to this particular article, though I do find it rather interesting. First, I think this is an absolutely brilliant idea for men who have lost function for various medical reasons like genetic defects, high blood pressure, physical damage, etc. I do wonder though about the psychological implications. While yes, it is remade with their own cells and is genetically their own penis, with cells and DNA that is their own, it would still have the "skeleton" from a donor. I think the issue might still be the same when actually joined to its recipient, if of course, they are told that the actual penis came from a donor. I do think it's fascinating though and will be very helpful for those who can have tissue fixed and functionality restored, which is to be the first step.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very captivating! Implanting a donor penis would be a blessing and a curse at the same time. It would be a blessing to those who desire to have children. It is a curse since many difficulties can occur such as, psychological issues and immunological rejection. If a man receives a penis transplant, then what types of prescribed drugs would he have to take? Also, would he have to take them for the rest of his life? If so then it would be easy to become addicted to these drugs. Another issue with this is you are tampering with Gods creation. "Do you not your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." 1 Corinthian 6:19.
ReplyDeleteIt is always interesting to see what new techniques are being discovered in the realm of science. It appears as if the field of bioengineering is making great strides in aiding organ transplantation. As I was reading the article a concern did arise. If I am understanding correctly, the biomaterial that is used to make the bioengineered penis will be replaced with human tissue over time. What if the body is incapable of supplying enough cells to this organ to make human tissue? what are the consequences to the patient? Also, could stem cells be used in this process. If so, what are the ethical issues that may arise in doing so? (Ciarra Moody)
ReplyDeleteThis was a fascinating article with exciting results! Dr. Atala and his team have been researching how to bioengineer an extremely complex organ for over two decades. Their dedication and results are equally impressive. Their ingenious method of reducing the penis to its basic structural framework was fascinating. I wonder what other organs seemingly complex structure could be expounded upon by using this technique. This would be an amazing advancement in bioengineering if proven safe in humans. However, this new technology could have serious implications. If other more complex organs become easily replaced how much longer could medicine extend life? Could the economy handle an increasingly retired population? Yet, the benefits far outweigh the potential dilemmas. The ability to completely replace disfigured or mutilated organs would greatly reduce loss of life and lifelong health problems. If proven safe, I believe this research with inspire other bioengineers to build increasingly complex organs. Some researchers are already looking into replacing parts or entire organs using 3D printed tissue. This is quite an amazing time we live in!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if I should be proud of the fact that I immediately got your Bobbitt reference. The wiki on it is both hilarious and frightening. Yet, the point of this post was the bio engineering part, which is quite interesting. I know that there has been a lot of advancement in the bio-engineering department. As you mentioned, this technology will be beneficial to those suffering penile issues.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand who is to say this technology will not be used for cosmetic surgeries? Already, sex change operations are popular and very expensive. I am sure there a quite a few people who could benefit from this surgery to aid in normalcy, but there will be others who use it to change nature. I am not sure if I am okay with that and therefore, more ethical guidelines should be added.
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DeleteI don't know that "proud" is the right word :)
DeleteShe cut it off...and threw it in a field! Wow, I'm not sure which topic I'm more infatuated with --the Bobbit story or the impressive advancements in bioengineering. This concept of raising penises (or is it peni?) in a lab is completely new to me, I had no idea such a thing could be done. However, this does raise quite a few ethical questions. Suppose this sort of procedure was approved for humans; where would scientists and society draw the line? Should such a procedure be permissible for gender changes or to make those who feel emasculated a bit more endowed? Of course at this present time scientists are excited about their discoveries and claim that such procedures would be directed toward helping those who have suffered from trauma or disease, but I have to wonder if this standard would remain. I do believe this form of bioengineering could be very positive and healthy for many people, but I think it has potential to be abused. For an extreme example, what if this procedure became commonplace to the point that babies could have their gender changed at birth? Or how would this affect a man's private life, would women find a lab grown penis distasteful? In short, this is an impressive technique that could be beneficial for many, I would just be concerned as to whether or not all procedures would be necessary for legitimate health reasons.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Barbie needs to tell Ken about this procedure ASAP.
ReplyDeleteBefore you know it, every organ in the human body would be grown in a lab. Doctors could just build a new human over all if they wanted to.
If I were to walk into a lab and saw a bunch of penises being grown in jars, smashed, and stretched, I would probably turn around and walk out, but the fact that researchers can grow anything that could replace a human organ is astonishing. If was a man who tragically lost his "thingy", I would definitely be signing up for this procedure. Especially if I can do it with my own cells. Sadly, we all know this is going to go outside the realms of medicine, especially in a place like America where sexual advertisement and pornography runs rampant. A man with a normal functioning yet smaller penis would probably want to replace it for a more… *Clears throat* pleasurable sized one for selfish reasons. Now for those who wish to undergo a sex change, this would also be a great option, but the risk for this procedure should definitely outweigh the wants for confused individuals. Before researchers go any farther with this, some regulations need to be put into place.
Bio-engineering a penis is an impressive accomplishment for science. To be able to provide hope for those who have been mutilated or born with birth defects, loss of identity can result. With this breakthrough in science confidence in one's identity can be restored. However, ethical questions arise when discussing the implications of this procedure. Sex-change operations could run rampid with unknown medical consequences effecting an individual proceeding with the procedure. With any advance in science, there is a slippery slope concerning this subject. The benefits may outweigh the consequences. This is a giant leap for science and bio-engineering organs. Organ transplant lists will be a thing of the past. Maybe next they can create a pancreas and Type 1 Diabetes will be no more :)
ReplyDeleteThe Bobbitt story is one of those harrowingly instructive tales that makes for a good dinner time story. It teaches that there are consequences for not “waiting your turn” for orgasm and also brandishing your “knife” at the wrong time and place. In her case, it was a wise decision for Mrs. Bobbitt to toss the little member. Surely a dismembered penis lying in a field can never be used again. But Mrs. Bobbitt was sorely mistaken….Thanks to innovative technology, her husband has been rejoined with his penis. Today, this technology has been taken even further with the creation of lab-manufactured penises. This is extremely impressive (and exciting!) considering that the penis is such a structurally complicated organ. I’m wondering, Did researchers choose rabbit penises because of their close resemblance to the human penis, or were they just easier to attach? This new technology has huge implications for sex-change patients and could enable a seamless transition from female-to-male transitions. I’m sure Mr. Bobbitt is closely following new developments in this field of study.
ReplyDeleteIs it sad that I don't know about Bobbitt? Anyways, this post was very interesting involving both excitement but dilemma. The excitement lies in the fact that those born with defects have a chance to have families and live happier lives. The dilemma portion mainly deals with the ethical issues. Women not needing men to reproduce may seem great for some, but I think the main issue is in using two bioengineered organs to create life which basically can lead to man trying to play God. As long as its purpose remains the same, to help those afflicted by malfunctioning reproductive systems, it's a great addition to the field of bioengineering. What a time to be alive!
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ReplyDeleteInteresting. Perhaps Lue should rethink the phrase, "Show me a hundred 70-year-old men with erectile dysfunction". Not a typical request. Anyway, regardless of the numerous, and hopefully inadvertent, innuendoes I could point out, this is truly a remarkable achievement in the field of regenerative medicine. Not only could this help those suffering from injury, disease, or dysfunction, but it could also provide more viable options for women seeking a sex change, which understandably comes with some associated ethical issues. Additionally, it could also help victims of knife-wielding wives who learned their lesson from Mrs. Bobbitt and took more thorough measures of disposal. However, I do wonder how the sensitivity of a lab-grown penis compares to the sensitivity of a healthy self-grown(?) penis. The rabbits didn't seem to have any problem, but I imagine that the saying "doing it like rabbits" is not completely unfounded. In human males with lab-grown or otherwise transplanted penises, I wonder if sex drive and/or sensitivity are significantly affected. John Bobbitt didn't seem to suffer any decreases, but is he the exception or the rule?
ReplyDeleteAlthough I found the first paragraph comical and though imagining a group of scientists waiting for and watching rabbits mate seemed laughably awkward, I agree with the responses of my peers: this is an incredible achievement. I guess a part of my mind assumed that these sexual structures would be mostly “machine.” For this reason, I was a little surprised when I read that a donor penis was needed. This formed some questions in my own mind. A lot of my fellow classmates have mentioned the possibilities of sex changes for women as if there are male reproductive structures lying around to spare. The fact is, with this present technology, a donor is needed whether the patient is male or female. Thus, sex change operations for males would be more than supported but would be encouraged. The ethical interpretations would be up for debate. There are undoubtedly many other issues that could arise because of this type of regenerative surgery, but the positive possibilities are actually very encouraging.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great work of bio-engineering but i think there must be a difference between God work and bio-engineer work. Also to me i don't think is ethical right because society is so corrupt without miss used this discovery.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely an interesting article. I was surprised by the fact that the lab group washed away donor cells to make a "skeleton" in the first step of this process. That is a unique approach that almost seems counter-intuitive. I think this could be a really helpful and beneficial advancement for men who have suffered damage or disease. As others have mentioned, this advancement may end up being used for women seeking to become men. The ethics of using this advancement for sex changes is definitely up for debate.
ReplyDeleteWow this article is very interesting. I think it's really awesome that this could help men that have mutilated penises. I would be interested in seeing what future this holds for artificially grown reproductive organs and transplants. This does cause some ethical issues though such as transgenders utilizing penis transplants. Or men that are not satisfied with their penis size getting cosmetic penis "upgrades." Overall, bioengineering penises could help several men, but what are the limits?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting concept, and it’s given me a lot of insight into biomedical engineering. I had previously never realized that biomedical engineering was literally the creation of body parts. This prompts me to raise the question of where are limits as humans? When I think about and consider this question that comes to mind is the brain. Although flexibility is not a concern in regards to conservation of the brain I believe that an even greater degree of complexity would have to be considered. However, that aside is a great advance for society and technology. I know that a penis does not play a vital physiological role for a man but also a significant psychological role as well.
ReplyDeleteDr. Day-Storms, these articles that you find never cease to amaze me! I had never heard of the Bobbitt story, and it was grotesquely comical. Moral of the story, "Happy wife=Happy Life."
ReplyDeleteThis huge advancement in bioengineering is one that requires recognition, especially with all the new found support for sex changes surrounding "Caitlyn" Jenner. Like a few other already asked, what is the down side of having a bioengineered penis? Is blood flow the same in an erection? Does it feel the same? How does the significant other respond to it? Does it function normally? Are these lab grown penises more susceptible to disease or infection? I would want to read a follow up article on how Mr. Bobbitt is doing now. A follow up study may give some insight regarding these questions. But again, this is one of those fun storys that I can throw out and make all my friends feel uncomfortable. Muhahaha.
I found this article to be very interesting. Bio-engineering penises for rabbits is quite an accomplishment. From the description, they seem to work nearly as well as natural penisis when it comes to reproduction which is a great step in the right direction. When it comes to growing human penises, I wonder how this would affect a couple's sex life. Would it feel any different, and would the new penis be as sensitive for the man as a the natural penis? Because the penis is such an intimate part of the body, would the grown penis affect a couple in a psychological way?
ReplyDeleteThough this article talked about producing a penis for cisgender men with penile injuries/dysfunctions, could this bring science closer to making functional penises for transgender men? Doctors are already able to manipulate the penis in a way to mimic a vagina for trans women, maybe a functional penis could be formed using this type of technology.
Bioengineering is extremely interesting in all forms, including this one. Because of the complicated nature of the penis, I wonder if the technology could be used on other types of body tissue? The author mentioned this a little bit in the article, however, many developments have been made since this discovery was made.
ReplyDeleteCombine this new information with advances in 3D bioprinting and the potential becomes limitless. Once day, a surgeon may be able to print up any organ he needs, right in the OR. Of course, it will take many years to develop this type of technology. Even once it is invented, it will take many years to be approved by the FDA. It is exciting to think about the potential none the less.
I found this article really interesting. I think bioengineering sexual organs has several implications. Obviously, if such synthetic organs can become FDA approved, they could be the cure to several genital- related diseases. However, I can also see this become abused. For example, sex-reassignment surgery involves using prosthetics to help people identify with their gender identity. Science however, supports the idea of there being only two sexes. I think that being able to grow synthetic, yet fully functioning penises could further blur the lines between gender. Nevertheless, this is quite an accomplishment for science. I hope that we can continue to design and produce functioning organs that can be used for transplant surgery.
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