What sprang to mind was "The island of Dr Moreau".

That story was so sad, reading it was like actually going through the process together with the main character.

The past few years I seem to be seeing more and more experiments with growing brains in laboratories. Aren't there laws regulating bioethics that forbid such questionable practices? Not that laws ever stopped determined nation states or private researchers from pursuing knowledge - or profit, or competitive advantage - at any cost.

I imagine some would argue there is no ethical problem, because these brains do not experience suffering like humans do. But how do you know for sure?