READ: Scientists Explore Bodyoids as a Source for Human Organs
A recent article from MIT Technology Review has sparked both scientific excitement and deep ethical unease. The focus? Bodyoids — lab-grown human bodies that lack the ability to think or feel pain. These mindless, sensationless forms could, according to some experts, be used in the future for organ harvesting or scientific research.
The concept sounds ripped straight from the pages of dystopian science fiction, and for many, it triggers an instinctive reaction of discomfort. But scientists and ethicists are now seriously discussing the potential benefits and consequences of creating such entities — and whether our moral framework is ready for what’s coming.
Bodyoids are imagined as living, breathing human forms grown without consciousness. Because they can't think or feel, some scientists argue they don’t violate ethical boundaries typically applied to human life. Proponents see them as a solution to major medical challenges, like the chronic shortage of transplantable organs.
Over 100,000 people in the U.S. are currently on organ transplant waiting lists, and 17 die each day waiting for an organ that never arrives. Bodyoids, if developed successfully, could provide organs that are biologically human and fully compatible, eliminating the need to rely on donors.
The bodyoid concept is still theoretical, but related technologies are already being tested. Some biotech companies are experimenting with gene-edited pig organs to overcome the shortage. While there have been successful transplants — like a gene-edited kidney transplant in 2024 — the results are still inconsistent, and several high-profile patients have died shortly after surgery.
Meanwhile, a biotech company in Israel, Renewal Bio, is pursuing a path closer to bodyoids: growing “embryo-like” synthetic humans for organ harvesting. These are not created from sperm and egg but from reprogrammed stem cells that self-organize into structures resembling early-stage embryos.
Scientists remain uncertain how far these synthetic embryos can develop or whether they should be subject to the same ethical rules as natural human embryos, which can’t be cultivated in labs beyond 14 days in many countries. The debate around what exactly defines an embryo — is it biology, origin, or potential? — is only growing louder.
Beyond bodyoids and synthetic embryos, other promising technologies are emerging that may bypass these ethical landmines.
Organs-on-chips replicate the behavior of real organs in tiny, lab-friendly formats.
Digital twins — computer models of organs — are being used to simulate drug effects in a virtual environment.
Both approaches allow for drug testing and research without relying on human or animal test subjects, which many consider a more humane and scalable alternative.
While proponents argue that bodyoids could save lives, critics worry about the long-term consequences of growing human bodies devoid of personhood. It brings to mind disturbing comparisons, like the novel Tender Is the Flesh, where humans are bred for slaughter and modified so they cannot scream. The idea is also eerily familiar to fans of the 2005 sci-fi film The Island—where cloned humans are secretly raised for their organs under the illusion of paradise. In that story, the clones weren’t supposed to think either. We all know how that turned out.
But history shows that public perception of new biotechnologies can change drastically over time. In vitro fertilization (IVF), now widely accepted, was once vilified as unnatural and dangerous. Today, millions of people owe their existence to it.
So how will we view bodyoids 40 or 50 years from now? As a horrific overreach, or as just another step in the evolution of medicine and human ingenuity? As advances in stem cell science, synthetic biology, and gene editing continue, the line between medical innovation and moral concern will only blur further. Whether bodyoids become a real solution or remain a speculative controversy, the question stands: Are we ready to redefine what it means to be human — and what we’re willing to create in pursuit of healing?
