Look, I've Changed
NewPancreoGen Inc. is developing a material for a device to be used in the pancreas to encapsulate beta cells. This tissue engineered device will contain cells and eventually it is expected that the material will be degraded over time in the body. The material and cells were implanted and evaluated in a mouse model system over a period of time. The device performed well in the initial tests and further tests were performed in dogs and pigs. One day, one of the team members, Dr. G. Lucose noted that some of the offspring from the original mouse implant tests were developing a second tail. The larger animals were bred and no tails (mutation) developed.
Is this product worth developing if only mice are affected, after all, humans don't grow tails?
Is the product development worthwhile if extensive breeding is necessary? How many generations of offspring will be necessary to confirm the experiment? Is the research design appropriate?
What side effects (or change in phenotype) are considered acceptable? What are the consequences of this acceptability?
Cite this page:
"Look, I've Changed"
Online Ethics Center for Engineering
8/18/2006 1:04:49 PM
National Academy of Engineering
Accessed: Friday, November 21, 2008
<www.onlineethics.org/CMS/research/modindex/resethpages/change.aspx>