In recent years, scientists have inched closer to creating “synthetic embryos,” that is, those produced without the typical fertilization of an egg by sperm.
Now, scientists in China have achieved a bioengineering first by creating embryo-like structures from monkey stem cellswhich is expected to boost our knowledge about the embryonic development and the early organ formation.
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai took macaque embryonic stem cells and exposed them to growth factors to stimulate their development into structures similar to early embryos.
They record for the first time a species of primates fishing
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The structures were grown under laboratory conditions and analyzed under a microscope, where they resembled natural blastocysts (cells early in embryonic development). The structures, called blastoidesthey continued to develop, forming what looked like a yolk sac and then the three germ layers seen in a normal body.
Subsequent analysis of the cells showed that their genes were expressed in a similar way to a natural blastocyst. I then transfer to the blastoids of eight surrogate monkeys.
In the words of the researchers, three of these monkeys “achieved the pregnancy” successfully. The monkeys developed early gestational sacs (in humans, this sac is visible on ultrasound a few weeks after conception).
The team plans to continue refining their method. However, in particular, they say that their structures are not capable of full development. But it is possible that these creations allow us to study the process.
Monkey baby.
On the other hand, the researchers acknowledge the ethical concerns surrounding this type of research, but emphasize that differences still exist between these embryo-like structures and natural blastocysts.
The findings were published in the Cell Stem Cell magazine.
