The experts only used stem cells; study has not yet been published in a scientific journal, which is expected in the coming months.
Scientists this week announced the creation of the world’s first synthetic human embryo, using stamina cells – a breakthrough that, in the future, could make reproduction dispense with eggs and sperm.
The development of this model – similar to a natural human embryo in its early stages of development – is a tool that can allow great progress in the most diverse fields of Medicine, such as the study of genetic diseases and the determination of the biological causes of recurrent miscarriages, just to cite two examples.
Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech, for its acronym in English), presented the work on Wednesday 14, at the annual meeting of the International Society for Research with Stem Cells, in Boston , United States.
The work has not yet been published in any scientific journal, which should happen in the coming months. “We have managed to create models similar to human embryos by reprogramming embryonic stem cells,” she announced in plenary, according to the British BBC.
However, the work raises important ethical and legal questions, since the creation of an embryo in the laboratory is not foreseen by current legislation. While the structure doesn’t have a heart or a brain, it does have stem cells that would be capable of forming the entire embryo, if their development were stimulated.
There is no short or medium term perspective that synthetic embryos can be used clinically. It would be illegal to implant them in a woman’s uterus, for example, and it’s not yet fully clear whether the structure will continue to develop beyond the embryonic stage. For example, synthetic mouse embryos implanted in a female uterus did not lead to pregnancy.
The main objective of the work, as explained by Magdalena, is to try to understand what happens during a period of embryonic development that scientists call the “black box”.
It is that, by law, in most countries, it is only possible to cultivate human embryos in the laboratory for a maximum of 14 days, precisely for ethical reasons. After this period, scientists are only able to follow embryonic development much later, through ultrasound examinations of pregnant women. In her presentation at the conference, Magdalena explained that she was able to grow the synthetic embryo beyond 14 days.
“The idea is that if you have a model of a human embryo made with stem cells, you can get a lot of information about what happens in the early stages of embryonic development, including what can go wrong, without having to use human embryos.” she explained in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardianspecialist in stem cell biology and genetic development Robin Lovell-Badge, of the Francis Crick Institute in London.
Stem cells are the first to appear in embryonic development. It is from them that specific lineages of cells are formed. Scientists have known for at least a decade how to make stem cells transform into specific cells.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
