The Ethics of Cerebral Organoid Research: Being Conscious of Consciousness
T. Sawai, Hideya Sakaguchi, Elizabeth A. Thomas, J. Takahashi, M. Fujita
Stem Cell Reports September 10, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.08.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | Argues that cerebral organoid research is advancing in neural development recapitulation and disease modeling, but future progress requires addressing functional assessment and ethical issues related to possible consciousness. |
Abstract
Recently, the use of three-dimensional neural tissues cultured in vitro and called "cerebral organoids" has advanced recapitulation of neural development and disease modeling studies. Along with such advances, cerebral organoid research, and associated concerns call for the elucidation of two points: (1) how cerebral organoid research is currently progressing and the future directions it is likely to take, especially in functional assessment of organoids, and (2) how we should solve ethical issues of possible consciousness in cerebral organoid research. This paper aims first to explore these two issues, and then to present implications and prospects for future cerebral organoid research.
Citations in the library
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- Consciousness and Human Brain Organoids: A Conceptual Mapping of Ethical and Philosophical Literature. AJOB Neuroscience July 9, 2025
- An assessment of the moral value of neuronal cell models and brain organoids Molecular Psychology Brain Behavior and Society July 10, 2023
- Moral Intuition Regarding the Possibility of Conscious Human Brain Organoids: An Experimental Ethics Study. Science and Engineering Ethics December 19, 2024
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