![]() Intriguingly, a similar problem has been recently tackled by the doctors in charge of patients who survive devastating brain injury. The problem, of course, is that these brains in a dish would be completely devoid of behaviour, communication, sensory inputs and motor outputs through which an external observer may detect signs of consciousness. Nevertheless, mini-brains exhibit neural connections and electrical activity, raising the question whether they might one day host a covert capacity for a rudimentary form of experience. ![]() Current cerebral organoids lack vascularity, as well as being devoid of surrounding embryonic tissues, glial cells, meninges and immune cells. Scientists have created so-called mini-brains corresponding to the development level of a few months foetus, albeit with smaller dimensions and many structural and functional differences. Also, and more importantly, there are new, relevant and so far overlooked ethical questions concerning cerebral organoids. However, some ethical issues have arisen concerning the origin of the cells that are used to produce organoids (human embryos) and their properties (donors, researchers, biobanks and transplant recipients). Organoids have also helped research take a step forward in the field of personalized medicine and transplants. Organoids are considered a great resource for biomedical research, as they allow for a detailed study of human cells’ development processes and pathologies, as well as for the testing of new molecules on human tissue. Recently, researchers have managed to produce human organoids which have structural and functional properties very similar to different organs, such as the retina, the intestines, the kidneys, the pancreas, the liver, and the inner ear. Organoids are three-dimensional biological structures grown in vitro from different kinds of stem cells that self-organize mimicking real organs with organ-specific cell types. In fact, a new line of biological research, also aimed at avoiding the use of animal models and potentially providing parts for human transplants, is leading to a revolution in dishes that could produce unforeseen consequences. However, the question may find a different answer in unexpected places. Paper: Cerebral organoids: ethical issues and consciousness assessment ( )Ĭan we grow a sentient human organism in a dish? The answer may depend on how we evaluate few days or weeks-old embryos resulting from artificial fertilization, but it generally seems negative (the debate on the moral status of embryos is open, but it does not seem that they can have feelings at that stage of development). (*Centro Universitario Internazionale, Arezzo, Italy **Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, Italy Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy). Authors, Andrea Lavazza *, Marcello Massimini **
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