My opinion
 

By Dr. Deepak Gupta , Dr. Sarwan Kumar , Dr. Shushovan Chakrabortty
Corresponding Author Dr. Deepak Gupta
Self, - United States of America
Submitting Author Dr. Deepak Gupta
Other Authors Dr. Sarwan Kumar
Self, - United States of America

Dr. Shushovan Chakrabortty
Self, - United States of America

MEDICAL ETHICS

HeLa Cells, Banked Biomes

Gupta D, Kumar S, Chakrabortty S. Just Like HeLa Cells, Who Owns Banked Biomes?. WebmedCentral MEDICAL ETHICS 2022;13(2):WMC005769

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License(CC-BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Submitted on: 21 Feb 2022 12:53:36 AM GMT
Published on: 22 Feb 2022 04:26:44 AM GMT

My opinion


We grew up in developing countries and knew only about blood “component” banks. Then we moved to a developed country and were introduced to tissue “sperm” banks. Now we are expecting that the developed group of nations may be looking up to the developing group of nations for filling up poop “biome” banks [1-3] unless the developing group of nations becomes developed too fast turning their populations’ ancient biomes too modern and thus worthless for banking. It may be good time to learn from history that just like component and sperm, biome owned by its producer may be a sought-after commodity [4-5] which others may need to better their health. The recipients may be willing to pay for biomes because life-styles of healthier biomes’ owners are difficult to emulate as recipients' life-histories and life-styles have not allowed recipients’ bodies to develop healthy biomes on their own [6]. Now the question arises whether we are objectifying and monetizing not only our cells but also our wastes as well. 

 

First, we must start accepting that excreted biomes are not wastes to abhor but represent inner ecosystems to adore. Henceforth, transactional objectivity with corresponding monetary activity may ensure checks and balances in this evolving future wherein not only what we own as our cells can be put to good use for others but also whom we home as our biomes can be used to alleviate suffering in others. Subsequently, whether one is sharing biomes with a local bank or the global vault, whether the one who is sharing biomes is a naïve native or a shrewd capitalist, and whether or not one is sharing information with recipient about one's life-history and life-style so that the recipient can emulate maintenance of healthier inner ecosystem with transplanted one’s biome, life-changing biomes may be assumed as figuratively priceless as "immortal" HeLa cells [7-8].

 

Summarily, when one signs over one's biome to bank or vault, one must realize that one is sharing one's signature product which one's body as a machine has tediously developed over a lifetime checking and balancing its inner and outer ecosystems.

Reference(s)


  1. Should We Standardize the 1,700-Year-Old Fecal Microbiota Transplantation? https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Citation/2012/11000/Should_We_Standardize_the_1,700_Year_Old _Fecal.26.aspx
  2. Fecal Microbiota Transplants Annually and Their Positive Clinical Impact. https://journals.lww.com/ctg/Fulltext/2020/11000/Fecal_Microbiota_Transplants_Annually_an d_Their.4.aspx
  3. Microbiota Vault. https://www.microbiotavault.org
  4. Can You Sell Your Poop for Money? https://www.budgetsaresexy.com/sell-your -poop-money/
  5. Poop With Purpose. https://www.poopwithpurpose.com
  6. Understanding the Scope of Do-It-Yourself Fecal Microbiota Transplant. https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Abstract/2020/04000/Understanding_the_Scope_of_Do_It_Yourse lf_Fecal.19.aspx
  7. Can the ‘immortal cells’ of Henrietta Lacks sue for their own rights? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/06/25/can -the-immortal-cells-of-henrietta-lacks-sue-for-their-own-rights/
  8. Who owns Henrietta Lacks’ cells? https://ww w.marketplace.org/2018/07/09/who-owns-henrietta-lacks-disembodied-cells/

Source(s) of Funding


NOT APPLICABLE

Competing Interests


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