Models of human embryos without eggs and sperm
Models of human embryos without eggs and sperm
A team of researchers in the United States and the United Kingdom has created the world's first artificial human embryo-like structures from stem cells, bypassing the need for eggs and sperm.
A report indicated that these embryo-like structures are still in the very early stages of human development, and for example they do not have a beating heart or brain. But scientists say they may one day help advance understanding of genetic diseases or the causes of miscarriage
One newspaper reported that there is no immediate prospect of using artificial embryos in clinical practice. It would be illegal to implant them in a patient's uterus, especially since it is not yet clear whether these structures have the potential to survive beyond the early stages of development.
And the newspaper pointed out that research conducted on animals using stem cells from mice and monkeys showed that even when scientists tried to transplant them, they did not survive, perhaps because the researchers did not fully figure out how to do this.
She noted that this development highlights how quickly science is gaining traction in this area, and scientists in the UK and elsewhere are already moving to set guidelines to control work on artificial embryos.
Source: websites