Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Piazza Botta 11, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Piazza S. Francesco 19, 55100, Lucca, Italy.
Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023 Apr 1;14(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s13287-023-03291-x.
Human cerebral organoids (HCOs) offer unprecedented opportunities to study the human brain in vitro, but they also raise important ethical concerns. Here we report the first systematic analysis of scientists' stance within the ethical debate.
Twenty-one in-depth semi-structured interviews were analyzed through a constant comparative method to highlight how the ethical concerns filter in the laboratory.
The results suggest that the potential emergence of consciousness is not yet seen with concern. However, there are some features of HCO research that need to be better accounted for. Communication to the public, the use of terms such as "mini-brains", and informed consent appear to be the most pressing concerns of the scientific community. Nonetheless, respondents generally showed a positive attitude toward the ethical discussion, recognizing its value and the necessity of constant ethical scrutiny over scientific advancements.
This research paves the way for a better-informed dialogue between scientists and ethicists, highlighting the issues to be addressed whenever scholars of different backgrounds and interests meet.
人类大脑类器官（HCO）为体外研究人脑提供了前所未有的机会，但也引发了重要的伦理问题。在此，我们报告了对伦理辩论中科学家立场的首次系统分析。
通过不断比较的方法对 21 次深入的半结构化访谈进行了分析，以突出伦理问题如何在实验室中过滤。
结果表明，潜在意识的出现目前还没有引起关注。然而，HCO 研究的一些特征需要更好地说明。向公众传播、使用“迷你大脑”等术语以及知情同意似乎是科学界最紧迫的问题。尽管如此，受访者普遍对伦理讨论持积极态度，认识到其价值以及对科学进步进行持续伦理审查的必要性。
这项研究为科学家和伦理学家之间更深入的对话铺平了道路，突出了无论背景和利益如何不同的学者相聚时需要解决的问题。
