2023-06-16 11:18:47
Our colleagues from the Guardian (Source 1) report that American researchers have succeeded in creating synthetic human embryos, using stem cells. This would be a world first, because if such embryos might be created previously, they were produced from animal stem cells, not human ones.
At the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Boston (United States), the international society for stem cell research, Professor Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz described having, with her team, succeeded in obtaining synthetic embryos without resorting to gametes (egg and sperm). “We can create models resembling human embryos by reprogramming cells [souches embryonnaires]“, she assured.
Because of their resemblance to human embryos in the early stages of development following fertilization, these synthetic embryos might make it possible to study the mechanisms at play at this important moment in embryogenesis, and in particular explain some miscarriages. In detail, these synthetic embryos are equipped with several cells, which make up the placenta (trophoblast), the yolk sac (energy reserve of the embryo at the start of pregnancy), and the embryo itself. They wouldn’t have, or at least not yet, an outline of a heart or a nervous system.
According to the team that created them, such embryos might be able to continue their development, at least beyond the limit of 14 days post-fertilization currently required in the United Kingdom and in most countries of the world for research on embryos. To work on embryos that have passed this stage, the scientific community must currently work from pregnancy ultrasounds, or hope for donations of deceased embryos.
The urgency of legally regulating the use of such embryos
Naturally, the research team that designed these embryos is very excited, because of the potential scientific advances that might result from the study of such embryos. However, part of the scientific community emits some reservations and ethical concerns.
“It is very likely that this research will lead to further debate on the so-called 14-day rule, which is the current legal limit for the use of embryos or embryo-like structures for research purposes. […] Further, researchers should consider whether these types of “templates” are in fact fundamentally different from human embryos: although they come from different sources and processes, they have characteristics similar to human embryos, which makes the question of how we view and treat them much more complex. More importantly, it is essential that researchers be transparent regarding this type of research and what is known and unknown, to ensure that our regulatory processes address the necessary issues and that the public is assured that there are adequate oversight mechanisms and safeguards”, thus commented the Rachel Ankeny, professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Adelaide, with the media Scimex.
Many experts interviewed by various media are unanimous on the need and urgency to establish a legal framework and safeguards for this type of research, as is the case for “classic” human embryos.
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