Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41067891›Full record

ReviewLife science alliance2025

Human brain slice cultures: translational applications and ethical considerations.

Kevin Joseph, Ioannis Vasilikos, Juergen Grauvogel, Mukesch Johannes Shah, Peter C Reinacher, Julia M Nakagawa, Ute Häussler, Jakob Straehle, Nicolas N Neidert, Panagiotis Fistouris and 11 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Life science alliance, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Kevin JosephFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6317-8736
Ioannis VasilikosFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Juergen GrauvogelFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3330-3860
Mukesch Johannes ShahFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Peter C ReinacherFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1691-546X
Julia M NakagawaFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1071-5440
Ute HäusslerFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Jakob StraehleFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3063-8972
Nicolas N NeidertFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Panagiotis FistourisFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3038-1396
Matthias SchneiderDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6025-7479
Steven A SloanDepartment of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Tobias WeissDepartment of Neurology, Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Volker A CoenenFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Oliver SchnellComprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany.
Andreas VlachosDepartment of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Marco PrinzFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Ulrich G HofmannFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6264-3701
Jürgen BeckFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7687-6098
Philipp KellmeyerFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5538-373X
Vidhya M RaviFaculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Vidhya.ravi@uniklinik-freiburg.de.ORCID 0000-0003-0062-2099

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human organotypic brain slice cultures have emerged as a pivotal tool to study the complexities of the human brain. Human organotypic brain slice cultures preserve the structural integrity, cellular diversity, and vascular networks of living brain tissue, maintaining in vivo characteristics. This advancement enables accurate temporal modeling of neurological diseases and facilitates precise experimental manipulations, accelerating therapeutic development. However, their use raises important ethical and philosophical considerations, including issues of donor consent and the potential for neural activity that prompts questions about consciousness. This study outlines these emerging concerns, emphasizing the need for guidelines that balance scientific innovation with ethical responsibility, particularly in relation to donor consent, transparency, and long-term use of living human tissue.

Indexed as

BrainTranslational Research, BiomedicalHumansInformed ConsentOrgan Culture Techniques

Identifiers

PMID41067891
PMCPMC12511760

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.