Human brain cells implanted into mice in US lab
US researchers have implanted human brain cells into mice, creating working neurons and raising ethical concerns about altering animal cognition.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Scientists at Stanford University in the US have successfully implanted human brain cells into mice, creating laboratory rodents with functioning human neurons inside their brains. The cells show electrical activity and are sending and receiving messages normally, according to the research team.
The animals were genetically engineered and surgically altered to receive the human brain cells. The scientists say the mice fundamentally behave like normal mice. The work is described as an ethically complicated scientific breakthrough, but the researchers argue it will give them new insight into the living human brain and what happens when it goes wrong.
The hope is that this research could speed up the search for treatments for conditions including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism. However, the study has raised new ethical questions about what it means to change the brain of an animal and how these laboratory mice might experience the world. While there is no indication that these mice are thinking any more like humans and any less like mice, the possibility exists that in future scientists might be able to alter animal cognition in ways that make them think more like humans.
The researchers acknowledge that making human neurons work inside a living rodent brain is technologically impressive, but there will be many years of research and ethical discussions before these flashing human brain cells translate into treatments for complex brain disorders.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Mice with the transplanted cells fundamentally behaved like normal mice. | |
| Neuroscientists based in the US transplanted human brain cells into mice. | |
| The research could speed up the search for treatments for conditions including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC One West focused on the ethical implications of the research while also explaining its scientific promise. The report highlighted the complexity of the breakthrough, including how the mice were genetically engineered and surgically altered, and included expert commentary about future possibilities and the need for ethical debate.
- “It's the result of an ethically complicated scientific breakthrough.”
- “While there's no indication in this study that these mice are thinking any more like humans and any less like mice, the possibility exists that in future we might start to be able to alter animal cognition in ways that might make them think more like humans.”
- “Scientists say that making human neurons work inside a living rodent brain is technologically impressive.”
Broadcast Timeline
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