A major new report concludes that UK governance systems are struggling to keep pace with emerging biotechnologies, including neural organoids - a valuable new way to study brain biology.
And, warns the Nuffield Council on Bioethics report, Neural Organoids: Ethical and Governance Considerations, the consequences for scientific progress and public trust could be significant if these issues are not addressed promptly.
Neural organoids are small, three-dimensional models of the brain, grown in a laboratory from stem cells. They can mimic aspects of how a brain develops and functions.
Studying actual human brains is difficult. Accessing living brain tissue raises ethical and practical challenges, and research using post-mortem tissue has limitations. Neural organoids therefore offer a valuable new way to study brain biology directly, in a laboratory setting.
A Nuffield Council on Bioethics expert working group, which included Professor Stephen Wilkinson, Principal Investigator of Lancaster's Future of Human Reproduction project, has published a set of recommendations. These include:
- The UK Government should look at developing flexible future regulation for emerging biotechnologies like this, mapping options that facilitate responsible scientific development while prioritising public safety and benefit.
- Research funders should prioritise robust public engagement to understand UK public attitudes towards neural organoid-related research.
- Research institutions and biobanks should review consent policies for donated tissue, ensuring that donor information sheets include all realistically foreseeable uses in neural organoids and similar models.
- Media outlets should report responsibly and accurately on neural organoids and similar models, helping to keep the public informed about developments in this fast-moving area.
Commenting on the report, Professor Wilkinson said: "Neural organoids and similar models are an increasingly important area of biomedical science, with real potential to advance our understanding of the human brain and neurological conditions.
"But they also raise complex ethical and regulatory questions that need to be addressed early, before scientific practice and governance frameworks drift too far apart.
"This report is an important first step towards making the UK a leader in the responsible governance of these biotechnologies."
