UK Scientists creates mouse embryo from stem cells, without sperms or eggs

Scientists in the United Kingdom claim to have formed a "synthetic" mouse embryo that does not require the use of egg or sperm cells. Instead, stem cells were used to create the embryos, which were ready to begin developing a brain, heart, and other organs for close to a week. Researchers believe their findings will one day help explain why so many human pregnancies fail so early in development. Scientists have created stem cell embryos that mimic the early stages of development in the human body. The work is the culmination of years of research by scientists at the University of Cambridge. They combined the three main types of embryonic stem cells in just the right mix and environment. From there, the cells arranged themselves into the basic structures of an embryo. According to the author, this is the first model that enables you to learn brain development in the context of a fully developing mouse embryo. The researchers aren't the first to claim the formation of a synthetic mouse embryo; Israeli scientists published their findings earlier this month. [caption id="attachment_64457" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Image: Nature[/caption] Miscarriage can occur in up to 50% of pregnancies, and many embryos formed through in-vitro fertilization can also fail to implant or grow. The ability to study these early stages of development up close could provide scientists with a wealth of information about how we become the people we are. Such research has ethical implications, as well as potential lessons in creating full-functioning synthetic organs. Last year, the International Society for Stem Cell Research eased its guidelines for lab-grown human embryos. The biggest challenge right now is creating synthetic mouse embryos that can survive past the early stages of development in the lab (it takes about 20 days for mice to fully develop). Such advancements are likely to necessitate the development of artificial wombs or placenta-like structures, which scientists are also working on. The same Israeli team demonstrated last year that it was possible to grow fetuses in a beaker for up to six days, and the Cambridge team says they are working on their approach as well.