Bioprinting and Transplantation: A Pilot Qualitative Survey of Knowledge, Perceptions and Hopes of Patients and Donors

A shift is taking place in the field of regenerative medicine and transplantation. Recent advances in bioprinting have made available new products, like bio-artificial tissues and organs, that offer to the recipients personalized solutions, reducing surgery duration and fostering tissue regeneration. Though encouraging, these implants raise critical ethical issues that need to be considered carefully. The existing literature identifies critical ethical, legal and social issues such as the body digitalization, rejuvination, immortal life, ownership of artificial bioconstructs, intellectual property rights and social discriminations. and the feelings of the stakeholders about the fabrication of bio-artificial organs and their transplantation. However, few publications analyse the ethical problems of early-phase clinical trials and even less articles explore the opinions In light of this scenario, this research aims to explore the knowledge, opinions, attitudes and hopes of patients and donors towards the bioprinting and organ transplantation by eliciting the underlying ethical feeling. The findings of this study may help to revise the current ethical, legal and social issues related to regenerative surgery based on a bottom up approach by engaging patients and donors. Moreover, it may contribute to develop or review guidelines dedicated to bioprinting and regenerative transplantation.