AMAZING!

 

Scientists create model human embryo lasting 14 days, without eggs, sperm or a womb – groundbreaking new study 

Scientists tread over an ethical quagmire as they unlock fresh insights into our first month of development.

In a groundbreaking development, scientists have grown synthetic human embryos for 14 days – without eggs, sperm or a womb. 

 In a new study published in Nature, biologist Prof Jacob Hanna and his research team at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, demonstrate their complete model of a human embryo using lab-grown stem cells. They generated the model using genetically unmodified pluripotent stem cells. These are cells that have the potential to develop into many different cell types. The resulting model mimics the 3D structure and key characteristics of a human embryo.

***********************************

This will lead to all kinds of discussions by ethicists, I'm sure. But, as I understand this from listening to a report on NPR, the use of these embryos could be used to further science's understanding of what can go wrong in a human embryo and why that happens.

Read the report in the link carefully. These stem cell produced embryos cannot develop into human fetuses:

"The researchers underline that while the models resemble embryos, they are not real embryos. 

Scientists are still unsure how long they would survive if allowed to develop beyond 14 days. While it is currently illegal to implant synthetic embryos into a human womb, there is currently no legal framework addressing the ethical issues of synthetic embryos. Despite this, so far they have not been grown for longer than 14 days."

We truly are living in interesting times.