Science is a step closer to industrially reproducing us

Without much fanfare, a team from the Weizmann Institute in Israel created The world’s first “artificial embryos”. That is, the first embryos that do not need eggs, sperm, or fertilization. In fact, because they did not ask, they did not even need a womb, even though they had been carried for eight days. We are facing a revolutionary technological breakthrough that will allow us to delve deeper into the very concept of life.

When stem cells…. In slightly more technical terms, researchers Discover They were able to activate genetic programs in mouse stem cells that initiated the processes of self-assembly, forming structures very similar to those in embryos in the early stages of development. Moreover, they can also produce the placenta and yolk sac of these animals. This means that fully artificial 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. can live for days. By combining the discovery with their technique, the team was able to carry them for 8 days: half the length of a normal gestation for rodents.

0.5%. The study showed that this is possible, yes. But it has also shown that it is a very difficult task. Most stem cells fail to form structures similar to those in an embryo. Only 0.5% of cells Developed tissues and organs. Of course: the artificial embryos were nearly identical (in proportions of more than 95%) with the internal makeup and genetic features of the “normal embryos”. Moreover, the artificial organs were fully functional.

A world of possibilities. Besides the biological responses that this approach can allow us to respond to, the fact is that the ability to produce tissues and cells Medically usable It can be revolutionary. Above all, because these are the technologies that They are already legal In many places in the world. However, it is a revolution that is still far away.

After all, we know a lot more about rat embryos than we do about human embryos. Therefore, this 0.5% success rate indicates that it will be much more difficult to replicate the results in humans. Moreover, the ethical issues of the approach to creating artificial human embryos They are widespread and will need more organization. Whatever the case, it is always good to see that we are approaching another medical revolution.