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Human Brain Organoids Implanted into Rats and Mice

posted by martyb on Thursday November 09 2017, @11:08PM   
from the have-they-not-read-HHGTTG? dept.

takyon writes:

Tiny human brain organoids implanted into rodents, triggering ethical concerns

Minuscule blobs of human brain tissue have come a long way in the four years since scientists in Vienna discovered [DOI: 10.1038/nature12517] [DX] how to create them from stem cells.

The most advanced of these human brain organoids — no bigger than a lentil and, until now, existing only in test tubes — pulse with the kind of electrical activity that animates actual brains. They give birth to new neurons [open, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.04.032] [DX], much like full-blown brains. And they develop the six layers [open, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.09.047] [DX] of the human cortex, the region responsible for thought, speech, judgment, and other advanced cognitive functions.

These micro quasi-brains are revolutionizing research on human brain development and diseases from Alzheimer's to Zika [open, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.04.032] [DX], but the headlong rush to grow the most realistic, most highly developed brain organoids has thrown researchers into uncharted ethical waters. Like virtually all experts in the field, neuroscientist Hongjun Song of the University of Pennsylvania doesn't "believe an organoid in a dish can think," he said, "but it's an issue we need to discuss."

Those discussions will become more urgent after this weekend. At a neuroscience meeting, two teams of researchers will report implanting human brain organoids into the brains of lab rats and mice, raising the prospect that the organized, functional human tissue could develop further within a rodent. Separately, another lab has confirmed to STAT that it has connected human brain organoids to blood vessels, the first step toward giving them a blood supply.

Ethicists triggered once again.

Also at Inverse, Express, and Daily Mail (included for contrast).

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Original Submission

• Re:Ethicists Triggered? When Aren't They? Re:Ethicists Triggered? When Aren't They? (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 10 2017, @01:48AM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 10 2017, @01:48AM (#594977)

  Same ethicist responding:

  Is it ethical to throw out taunting ramblings

  Yes.

  especially when the comment was addressed to concerns about ethicists?

  Even moreso.

  Are you unwilling to accept criticism about your profession, assuming it is in fact what you do (and it probably isn't)?

  Not really necessary. We are professionals, after all.

  Do you fear people finding out about your redundancy, invasiveness and ineffectiveness when you are making their decisions for them, resulting in their death and you patting yourself on the back?

  No.

  Was the mouse even mentioned in the post you "replied" to?

  Confero, si tu gratia: "non-functioning".

  exhibit #1 in how easy it is to trigger one into enraged, irrational rambling,

  Nurse! More Thorazine for this one. Thank you.

  or at least lackluster trolling.

  Now this cuts to the quick. Fortunately, I am a highly trained ethicist, and I have learned to treat comments like yours as a symptom of the disease, and not take them personally. Have a nice life, unethical AC!

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• Re:Ethicists Triggered? When Aren't They? (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 10 2017, @02:50AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 10 2017, @02:50AM (#595001)

  +Informative.
  An excellent lesson in the dissection of a (brain) dead comment.

  Parent