Question of the month- brain organoids
Posted by the Node, on 21 March 2016
Last week, Development announced a special issue on organoids. In vitro organogenesis is a burgeoning new field, with applications in the study of human development, drug testing and ultimately the possibility of producing functional organs in the dish that could be used for transplantation. Every new technological advance brings with it a new set of ethical issues, and this is particularly true with regards to brain organoids. Whilst there have been enormous advances in this area, brain organoids are still far from being functional ‘mini brains’. However, it is not impossible that in the near future we may be able to generate a brain organoid that has a sensory area that is able to functionally connect with a processing centre. At what point could we say that these organoids can ‘think’? And does it matter? This month we are asking:
What are the ethical issues surrounding the generation of brain organoids?
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below! You can comment anonymously if you prefer. We are also collating answers on social media via this Storify. And if you have any ideas for future questions please drop us an email!
Below is an interview with brain organoid researcher Juergen Knoblich, which may be of interest to you:
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