Without making much noise, a team from Israel’s Weizmann Institute has created the world’s first ‘synthetic embryos’. That is, the first embryos that have not needed eggs, sperm, or fertilization. In fact, because they did not require, they have not even required a uterus, even though they have been gestated for eight days. We are facing a revolutionary technical feat that will allow us to delve into the bowels of the very conception of life.
When stem cells…. In slightly more technical terms, the researchers discovered that they were able to activate genetic programs in the stem cells of the mice that began self-assembly processes, forming structures very similar to those of embryos in early stages of development. Moreover, they could also generate the placenta and yolk sac of these animals. That is, the complete synthetic embryos were at his fingertips.
…meet artificial wombs. Interestingly, this same research group last year developed a mechanical uterus capable of creating an ideal growth environment for mouse embryos to survive for days. By combining the discovery with their own technology, the team has managed to gestate them for 8 days: half the normal gestation length for rodents.
0.5%. The study has shown that this is possible, yes; but it has also shown that it is a very difficult job. Most of the stem cells failed to form structures similar to those of an embryo. Only 0.5% of the cells developed tissues and organs. Of course: the synthetic embryos were almost identical (with rates greater than 95%) to the internal structure and genetic profiles of the “natural embryos”. Furthermore, the synthetic organs were fully functional.
A world of possibilities. Beyond the biological responses that this approach can allow us to respond to, the truth is that the ability to produce tissues and cells that can be used at a medical level can be revolutionary. Above all, because these are techniques that are already legal in many parts of the world. However, it is a revolution that is still far away.
After all, we know a lot more about mouse embryos than we do about human embryos. Therefore, this success rate of 0.5% suggests that it will be much more difficult to replicate the results in humans. Furthermore, the ethical issues of approaching the creation of synthetic human embryos are vague and would need more regulation. Be that as it may, it is always good news to see that we are approaching another medical revolution.
