Mini brains, big questions: science is racing ahead of ethics

By James Poulter, Associate Professor of Genomic Medicine, University of Leeds

In a little over ten years, organoid models – miniature, lab-grown clusters of cells that imitate real organs – have transformed how we study human development and disease while accelerating drug discovery. As a bonus, they’ve reduced our reliance on animal testing.

Among these models, brain organoids – 3D, brain-like structures grown from stem cells – have progressed from simple cell clusters to sophisticated models that mimic important aspects of brain development and function.

Recent breakthroughs have made them more complex: some organoids now show electrical activity…

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