Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42434108›Full record

ArticleAsian bioethics review2026

Ethics and Regulation of Human Brain Organoid Research: Recommendations from the Asia Pacific Neuroethics Working Group.

Shu Ishida, Brett J Kagan, Masanori Kataoka, Julian Koplin, Sebastian Porsdam Mann, Jonathan Lewis, Heather Browning, Alexandre Erler, Faisal Feroz, Tamami Fukushi and 20 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Asian bioethics review, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

30 authors.

Shu IshidaUehiro Division for Applied Ethics, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan.
Brett J KaganCortical Labs, Melbourne, Australia.
Masanori KataokaUehiro Division for Applied Ethics, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan.
Julian KoplinMonash Bioethics Centre, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Sebastian Porsdam MannCenter for Advanced Studies in Bioscience Innovation Law, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-1867-2097
Jonathan LewisCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Heather BrowningDepartment of Philosophy, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Alexandre ErlerInstitute of Philosophy of Mind and Cognition, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Faisal FerozCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Tamami FukushiFaculty of Human Welfare, Tokyo Online University, Tokyo, Japan.
Søren HolmCentre for Social Ethics and Policy, Department of Law, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Masatoshi KokuboInterfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Stephen LathamYale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA.
Andrea LavazzaDepartment of Literary, Linguistic, and Philosophical Studies, Pegaso University, Naples, Italy.
Ilhak LeeDepartment of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Tsung-Ling LeeGraduate Institute of Health and Biotechnology Law, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
David LyreskogNEUROSEC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Jerry MenikoffCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Takuya NiikawaGraduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
Naoya NagaishiGraduate School of Law, Hitotsubashi University, Kunitachi, Japan.
Eisuke NakazawaDepartment of Biomedical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Serene OngCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Koji OtaInstitute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
Christopher RegisterUehiro Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Walter VeitDepartment of Philosophy, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Ji Hyun YangDepartment of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Shang Long YeoCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Tsutomu SawaiUehiro Division for Applied Ethics, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan.
Julian SavulescuCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Brian D EarpCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human brain organoids (HBOs) are three-dimensional structures derived from human stem cells that model aspects of brain development and function, offering potentially unprecedented opportunities for studying neurological disorders and for developing treatments. This consensus paper presents recommendations from the Asia Pacific Neuroethics Working Group, developed through interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, bioethicists, philosophers, and legal scholars who convened in Singapore in November 2024. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the ethical, legal, and sociocultural dimensions of HBO research, addressing both current realities and future possibilities. The paper examines key ethical considerations, including the potential moral status of HBOs, particularly regarding sentience and consciousness, while identifying and dispelling common misconceptions and "ethical red herrings" arising from sensationalized portrayals. We analyze consent frameworks for cell donation, privacy concerns, dual-use risks, and questions of distributive justice. Legal challenges are explored, including the categorical ambiguity of HBOs within existing regulatory frameworks, intellectual property issues, and cross-border inconsistencies in standards. Sociocultural perspectives emphasize the importance of public understanding, cross-cultural engagement, and empirical research on diverse community attitudes toward HBO research. In our recommendations, we advocate for evidence-based ethical discussions, anticipatory frameworks addressing potential future developments, contextualized analysis comparing HBOs to related experimental models, robust informed consent processes, proportionate responses to consciousness concerns, development of adaptive regulatory frameworks, responsible science communication to manage public expectations, and sustained interdisciplinary collaboration. We emphasize a balanced approach that promotes scientific innovation while maintaining rigorous ethical oversight, recognizing HBOs' significant potential for advancing neuroscience and medicine. This represents the first comprehensive ethical framework for HBO research from the Asia Pacific region, helping to establish foundational principles for responsible development of this rapidly advancing field.

Indexed as

ConsentHuman brain organoidsMoral statusNeuroethicsRegulationScience communication

Identifiers

PMID42434108
PMCPMC13350604

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.