Ethics and Governance  of Human Brain Organoids Research and Application

Abstract

Abstract: Human brain organoids provide a high-quality model for exploring mechanisms of the cognition, development and disease in the human brain. However, while triggering a revolutionary leap in human brain biomedical research, it will also trigger a series of new crises in life technology ethics and new challenges in classical ethical issues, mainly involving moral status of human brain organoids, moral humanization of animal/non-living entity and ethical issues related to human brain organoids biobanks. Based on ethical norms analysis, it is recommended to analyze the above-mentioned ethical dilemmas in depth and classify human brain organoids research and application for ethical governance: conduct routine reviews for low-risk research and applications, and add expert review procedures for high-risk research and applications.It also calls for the research community to collaborate, fully discuss, and jointly review in order to solve the ‘Colin Grinch dilemma’ and guide responsible innovation in human brain organoids research and application.

摘要： 人脑类器官为探究人脑认知、发育和疾病机制提供了优质模型。但它在触发人脑生物医学研究革命性飞跃的同时，也将引发一系列生命科技伦理新危机和经典伦理问题新挑战，主要包括：人脑类器官的道德地位、动物/非生物体道德人化和人脑类器官样本库相关伦理问题等。基于伦理学规范分析法深入剖析上述伦理困境，建议对人脑类器官相关研究和应用进行分类伦理治理：针对低风险研究和应用进行常规审查，针对高风险研究和应用则需附加专家复审程序。呼吁研究共同体通力协作、充分讨论和共同审议，以期破解“科林格里奇困境”、引导人脑类器官相关研究和应用的负责任创新。

罗会宇马永慧. 人脑类器官研究和应用的伦理与治理[J]. 科学学研究, 2025, 43(6): 1302-1310.

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Ethics and Governance of Human Brain Organoids Research and Application

人脑类器官研究和应用的伦理与治理

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