Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31957593›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics2019

Moral Limits of Brain Organoid Research.

Julian J Koplin, Julian Savulescu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Organoids: a systematic review of ethical issues.Stem cell research & therapy · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Media portrayal of ethical and social issues in brain organoid research.Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM · 2022
    Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Harnessing Intelligence from Brain Cells In Vitro.The Neuroscientist : a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry · 2025
    Review
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Julian J KoplinJulian J. Koplin, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow with the Biomedical Ethics Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne. He has a broad range of interests across the field of philosophical bioethics. Julian Savulescu, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., M.A., is Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford. He directs the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and co-directs the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities. He is Visiting Professorial Fellow in Biomedical Ethics at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne and Distinguished International Visiting Professor in Law at the University of Melbourne.
Julian SavulescuJulian J. Koplin, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow with the Biomedical Ethics Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne. He has a broad range of interests across the field of philosophical bioethics. Julian Savulescu, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., M.A., is Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford. He directs the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and co-directs the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities. He is Visiting Professorial Fellow in Biomedical Ethics at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne and Distinguished International Visiting Professor in Law at the University of Melbourne.

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 203132/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Brain organoid research raises ethical challenges not seen in other forms of stem cell research. Given that brain organoids partially recapitulate the development of the human brain, it is plausible that brain organoids could one day attain consciousness and perhaps even higher cognitive abilities. Brain organoid research therefore raises difficult questions about these organoids' moral status - questions that currently fall outside the scope of existing regulations and guidelines. This paper shows how these gaps can be addressed. We outline a moral framework for brain organoid research that can address the relevant ethical concerns without unduly impeding this important area of research.

Indexed as

Moral StatusBrainConsciousnessHumansOrganoidsStem Cell Research

Identifiers

PMID31957593
PMCPMC7433685

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.