Scientists Have Succeeded In Creating The First Synthetic Embryos. They Did Not Need An Egg Or Sperm For Its Creation

Israeli scientists from the Weizmann Institute managed to create a synthetic embryo for the first time in history without the use of egg, sperm and fertilization. Experts have found that mouse stem cells can develop embryo-like structures with a complete intestinal tract, a brain embryo and a functioning heart. According to the British The Guardian, such embryos are widely used in science, they could reduce the need for animal testing. They published the study in the scientific journal Cell.

This breakthrough can save lives

Scientists have great expectations fom synthetic embryos, which are created without the help of fertilized eggs. In the near future, they could help to understand the processes through which organs and tissues are formed in natural embryos. At the same time, scientists hope that working with synthetic embryos could reduce the need for animal testing.

The ambitious goal is to find new sources of cells and tissues for organ transplantation in humans. For example, doctors could transplant a patient with leukemia with bone marrow made from his own stem cells. "We have shown that embryonic stem cells generate whole synthetic embryos, including the placenta and yolk sac," said study leader Professor Jacob Hanna. The yolk sac is the structure through which the mother nourishes the embryo in the early stages of pregnancy. The stem cells made it themselves through synthesis.

In 2021, the same team of scientists succeeded in developing a mechanical uterus in which embryos matured. In terms of internal structure and genetic profiles, these synthetic embryos were 95 percent identical to natural ones. According to available data, their organs were functional. However, further research is still needed before it can be applied to humans.

According to Professor Hanna, synthetic embryos are not "real" and do not have the potential to grow into living animals. At least not yet. In Israel and also in other countries, such as the USA or the UK, such use of synthetic embryos is legal when working with animal cells.

Before scientists can focus on artificial human embryos, however, it is important to create a legislative framework, says Dr. James Briscoe, who was not part of the project. He told The Guardian that this is the period in which laws and codes of ethics should also have begun to take shape to regulate the work of synthesizing human embryos.