An unprecedented scientific feat: researchers in the United Kingdom and United States created the first synthetic human embryos in the laboratory using stem cells, without the need for sperm and oocytes. The novelty was presented this week at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) in the USA.
According to scientist Magdalena ZernickaGoetz, a professor at the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the developed embryos resemble the first stages of human development, which may provide new information about genetic disorders or causes of spontaneous abortions.
“It’s embryo models, but it’s very exciting because it’s very similar to human embryos and it’s a very important way to find out why so many pregnancies fail, since most pregnancies fail at the point of development when we have these structures.” build up,” he said. the academic.
Speaking at the International Society for Stem Cell Research event, Professor ZernickaGoetz explained that the cultivation of embryos from embryonic stem cells material that has the ability to transform into any type of adult cell has been done to some extent beyond the equivalent 14 days of development time.
At this point, she pointed out, the embryo does not yet have a beating heart, intestines or brain attachment, but the model shows the presence of primordial cells, which are the precursors to the egg and sperm.
It is not yet known whether the fetus can continue to mature beyond the first stages of development and form organs, for example. In addition, the scientists are convinced that the aim of the research is to identify genetic mechanisms and that there is no prospect of it being used in clinical practice which would be illegal in the countries where the work is being carried out.
ethics in health
The study raises ethical questions for researchers because, as this is something very new, there may be delays in implementing the rules. The International Society for Stem Cell Research’s guidelines on the subject state: “Scientific research on and using human embryos and embryonic stem cell lines in culture is considered ethically permissible in many countries when conducted under strict scientific and ethical supervision.” the US and UK.
However, there is still no certainty as to how far these studies can go, as scientists do not know if the embryo could produce a living being. “If these models are to be very similar to normal embryos, then they should be treated in a way the same way. This is currently not the case in legislation. People are concerned about it,” said the head of biology at stem cells and developmental genetics at the Francis Crick Institute in England.
Kathryn MacKay, professor of health ethics at the University of Sydney, Australia, also addresses the issue in a statement on the study and points out that one needs to understand whether the model created in the laboratory can evolve or not. Tests with synthetic animal embryos implanted in females have failed.
“It’s a moral issue to create something for research that may or may not have the potential to live as its own full entity. If they can live as their own complete entities, then we must ask ourselves whether it is morally permissible to create living things.” “They are living beings for research purposes only. Currently, animal models suggest that these synthetic embryos would not be able to transform into a human baby,” he argues.
synthetic mouse
Last year, the research team led by Magdalena ZernickaGoetz developed a synthetic mouse embryo that had a brain, a beating heart and the basics of all other organs in the body.
This achievement was published in the journal Nature. The study described the most advanced achievement of its kind to date. Despite the ethical and moral conflicts that would prompt debate as the research progressed, scientists commend the work for understanding genetic mechanisms that were previously little known.
“The creation of synthetic human embryos is a breakthrough that will play a crucial role in basic biology and in understanding the development and possible functioning of living organisms. This is a key piece in the puzzle for studying any developmental process, including disease or biological defects,” assesses Wojciech Chrzanowski, Professor at the University of Sydney’s Sydney School of Pharmacy.