Brain organoids can raise significant ethical and legal concerns, especially when developed from human fetal tissues. In a new paper, researchers from Hiroshima University delve into some of the issues surrounding organoids, with the aim of contributing to informed decision-making and responsible stewardship in the pursuit of scientific advancement.
The team’s work, published in EMBO Reports, highlights the complexities inherent in brain organoid research. Brain organoids are three-dimensional human brain tissues derived from stem cells, capable of replicating the complexity of the human brain in a laboratory setting. While traditionally grown from pluripotent stem cells, new technologies now make it possible to generate these organoids from human fetal brain cells, further intensifying the legal and ethical debates.
The study emphasizes the urgent need for a sophisticated and globally harmonized regulatory framework to navigate the complex ethical and legal landscape of fetal brain organoid (FeBO) research. The researchers address critical issues, such as informed consent protocols, ethical considerations surrounding organoid consciousness, transplantation of organoids into animals, integration with computational systems, and broader debates related to embryo research and the ethics of abortion.
"Our research seeks to illuminate previously often-overlooked ethical dilemmas and legal complexities that arise at the intersection of advanced organoid research and the use of fetal tissue," said Tsutomu Sawai, lead author of the study.
The researchers plan to advocate for the development of thorough ethical and regulatory frameworks for brain organoid research, including FeBO research, at both national and international levels. By promoting responsible and ethical progress in science and medicine, they aim to ensure that all research involving brain organoids is conducted within a framework that prioritizes human dignity and ethical integrity.
"Rather than being limited to issues of consciousness, it's imperative, now more than ever, to systematically advance the ethical and regulatory discussion in order to responsibly and ethically advance scientific and medical progress," added Sawai.