An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will examine the scientific, ethical and regulatory issues associated with neural chimeras and neural organoid research. The committee will review the status of research, consider the benefits and risks of such research, discuss associated ethical issues, and consider what oversight mechanisms might be appropriate in this area.

The committee will consider questions such as:

• How would researchers define or identify enhanced or human awareness in a chimeric animal?

• Do research animals with enhanced capabilities require different treatment compared to typical animal models? What are appropriate disposal mechanisms for such models?

• What types of brain tissue are appropriate for use as neural organoids?

• How large or complex would the ex vivo brain organoids need to be to attain enhanced or human awareness?

• What kind of “humanized” brain, in size and structures, would be acceptable in a research animal?

• Should patients give explicit consent for their cells to be used to create neural organoids?

• What regulatory mechanisms relating to organoid and chimeric animal research are currently in place? Are there gaps in the current regulatory framework?

• What regulatory mechanisms exist for similar research?

• What further regulatory mechanisms might be appropriate?