Transplanting a Mini-human Brain into Mice Causes Concern About

The fact that scientists implant human brain tissue into the head of mice and rats is certainly not able to make mice think like humans in the future. But many researchers still worry that this will help mice to increase awareness, leading to unpredictable moral problems.

Key Facts About Mini Brain

The experiment of mini-human brain implants in mice sparked a moral debate among researchers.(Artwork: Business Insider.)

The researchers used a mini brain (organoid), the cell mass that acts as a miniature and simplified version of an in vitro organ to simulate the characteristics of the real organ to implant. brain of the mouse.

Currently, mini brains are produced from stem cells with electrical impulses and can develop new neurons, but even the most complex mini brains cannot reach the thinking ability.

Transverse slices of artificial mini brains.

However, Hongjun, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, said that the ability of animals to increase their awareness after being implanted with human brain tissue is a possibility. Because the most recent research results indicate that the mini brain can successfully integrate into the animal's brain. This means that in the future how animals think may be affected by human tissue.

Mini brains are opening up the revolution in human brain development and neurological diseases like Alzheimer's. But researchers need more mini brain implants in experimental animals to create more complex mini brains to better simulate the conditions of the human brain. Opponents of the experiment say that after each mini brain implant, they will become smarter, the level of awareness increases and even more like people.