Neural organoids are small, three-dimensional models of brain tissue grown in a laboratory from stem cells. This is a fast-developing area of science that offers researchers new ways to study the human brain that were not previously possible, providing a more human-relevant alternative to animal models that have long constrained progress in brain-related research and treatment development.

However, as the models grow in complexity so do the ethical and governance challenges they present.

Neural organoids raise both significant scientific promise and complex ethical questions - as an emerging biotechnology they require careful, proportionate governance frameworks if research is to proceed with public confidence and robust safeguards in place. The UK's regulatory system is currently struggling to keep pace with these developments, and without clear frameworks, ethically sensitive research risks moving forward without the safeguards the public rightly expects.

Today, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics published Neural Organoids: Ethical and Governance Considerations, identifying significant gaps in the UK's current governance of neural organoid research and setting out nine recommendations for government. The report was developed by a multi-disciplinary expert working group that included Professor Stephen Wilkinson, Distinguished Professor of Bioethics and Principal Investigator of the Future of Human Reproduction project at Lancaster University.

Read the full report and recommendations.