World first artificial ‘embryo’ created in lab.

mouse embryos Courtesy: Cambridge University 

Yet another breakthrough in the field of Reproductive Medicine by scientist at University of Cambridge. The researchers used two type of stem cells and placed them on 3D scaffold, controlling the environment to simulate the intrauterine conditions after 4 days, they were able to produce a structure very similar to living mouse embryo.

The two type of cells used were embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and extra-embryonic trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) - which form the placenta.

Previous attempts to grow embryos using only stem cells were unsuccessful as the cells would not assemble into correct position. The current embryo like structure would not grow into mouse because it lacked a third kind of cell that produce yolk-sac and supply nutrients to the growing embryos.

The team was led by Prof Magdalena Zenricka Goetz, who was recently in headlines because of developing a technique to allow blastocysts to develop in lab up to the legal limit of 14 days. Read the article here. 

We knew that interactions between the different types of stem cell are important for development, but the striking thing that our new work illustrates is that this is a real partnership - these cells truly guide each other. “said Prof Magdalena “It has anatomically correct regions that develop in the right place and at the right time.”

Growing embryos could help scientist and researchers to unveil the mystery surrounding the beginning of human life and also understand the reasons behind early pregnancy loss. It will help them to understand the critical events associated with human developments without actually having to work on (IVF) embryos.

Currently scientist could only experiment on surplus embryos from IVF treatments, but they are in short supply and must be destroyed after 14 days.

Britain is currently the pioneer in Reproductive medicine research and last year a group at the Francis Crick Institute was granted permission to genetically modify human embryos.

The scientists would need to seek permission from the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA), before attempting to create human embryos using the technique, and experts called for 'international dialogue' before going ahead.

But, scientist all over the world agreed that it was ‘significant breakthrough’.

The research was published in recent issue of Science Journal.

We have really come a long way since the birth of Louise Brown in 1978.