Posted on Oct 13, 2022
Human cells in a rat's brain could shed light on autism and ADHD
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/10/12/ [login to see] /human-cells-in-a-rats-brain-could-shed-light-on-autism-and-adhd
Scientists have demonstrated a new way to study conditions like autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and schizophrenia.
The approach involves transplanting a cluster of living human brain cells from a dish in the lab to the brain of a newborn rat, a team from Stanford University reports in the journal Nature.
The cluster, known as a brain organoid, then continues to develop in ways that mimic a human brain and may allow scientists to see what goes wrong in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders.
"It's definitely a step forward," says Paola Arlotta, a prominent brain organoid researcher at Harvard University who was not involved in the study. "The ultimate goal of this work is to begin to understand features of complex diseases like schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder."
But the advance is likely to make some people uneasy, says bioethicist Insoo Hyun, director of life sciences at the Museum of Science in Boston and an affiliate of the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics.
Scientists have demonstrated a new way to study conditions like autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and schizophrenia.
The approach involves transplanting a cluster of living human brain cells from a dish in the lab to the brain of a newborn rat, a team from Stanford University reports in the journal Nature.
The cluster, known as a brain organoid, then continues to develop in ways that mimic a human brain and may allow scientists to see what goes wrong in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders.
"It's definitely a step forward," says Paola Arlotta, a prominent brain organoid researcher at Harvard University who was not involved in the study. "The ultimate goal of this work is to begin to understand features of complex diseases like schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder."
But the advance is likely to make some people uneasy, says bioethicist Insoo Hyun, director of life sciences at the Museum of Science in Boston and an affiliate of the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics.
Human cells in a rat's brain could shed light on autism and ADHD
Posted from npr.org
Science
Medical
Health
Research
Harvard University
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
Pshaw .. they've been doing this for years, except in reverse.
How else do you explain many of our politicians?
Seriously though, very interesting.
How else do you explain many of our politicians?
Seriously though, very interesting.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
COL Randall C. People do tend to Frame things on a Personal Level. I Hear ASD Rat and the first thing that Crossed My Mind "Great Now We'll have Anti-Social Rocket Scientist Asperger's Rats!"
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."We need to be able to watch it, consider it, discuss it and stop it if we think we think one day we are at the point where we shouldn't progress," she says. "I think we are far, far away from that point right now."
Even the most advanced brain organoids have nothing even remotely like the capabilities of a human brain, says Hyun, who posted a video conversation he had with Pasca to coincide with the publication of the new study.
Yet many ethical discussions have focused on the possibility that an organoid could attain human-like consciousness.
"I think that's a mistake," Hyun says. "We don't exactly know what we mean by 'human-like consciousness,' and the nearer issue, the more important issue, is the well-being of the animals used in the research."
He says that wasn't a problem in the Pasca lab's experiments because the organoids didn't seem to harm the animals or change their behavior.
If human brain organoids are grown in larger, more complex animal brains, Hyun says, the cell clusters might develop in ways that cause the animals to suffer.
"What I'm concerned about," he says, "is what's next."
..."We need to be able to watch it, consider it, discuss it and stop it if we think we think one day we are at the point where we shouldn't progress," she says. "I think we are far, far away from that point right now."
Even the most advanced brain organoids have nothing even remotely like the capabilities of a human brain, says Hyun, who posted a video conversation he had with Pasca to coincide with the publication of the new study.
Yet many ethical discussions have focused on the possibility that an organoid could attain human-like consciousness.
"I think that's a mistake," Hyun says. "We don't exactly know what we mean by 'human-like consciousness,' and the nearer issue, the more important issue, is the well-being of the animals used in the research."
He says that wasn't a problem in the Pasca lab's experiments because the organoids didn't seem to harm the animals or change their behavior.
If human brain organoids are grown in larger, more complex animal brains, Hyun says, the cell clusters might develop in ways that cause the animals to suffer.
"What I'm concerned about," he says, "is what's next."
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