Newshub18:Sperm was not needed, scientists made the world’s first synthetic embryo.This is the first time scientists have created synthetic embryos, which do not require sperm, eggs or fertilization. A group of Israeli scientists have made the impossible possible.
Scientists have created the world’s first synthetic embryo. And they didn’t use any sperm for that. Using stem cells from mice, scientists created embryo-like structures that had an intestine, a brain-like structure and a beating heart. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Israel effectively eliminated the need for sperm, eggs and fertilization. They found that mouse stem cells could self-assemble into early embryo-like structures—including a gut, early brain, and a beating heart.
What is a synthetic embryo?
The main reason these embryos are classified as synthetic is that they are created without a fertilized egg. Scientists can better understand the processes that help organs and tissues form during natural embryonic development. Scientists also hope that such artificial embryos could reduce the burden of animal testing and thereby pave the way for new sources of cells and tissues for transplantation into the human body.
Professor Jacob Hanna, head of the research team, told The Guardian newspaper, “Impressively, we show that embryonic stem cells create a fully artificial embryo, which includes the placenta and yolk sac surrounding the embryo… We are really excited about this work and its implications.” This research paper has been published on a website called cell.com.
Last year the same team created a mechanical womb, which allowed natural mouse embryos to grow outside the uterus for several days. In the new experiment, they used the same device to grow stem cells in mice for more than a week, which is about half the time of a mouse’s gestation