In a significant milestone for biomedical research, scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Israel have developed a complete model of human embryo without the need for sperm, eggs or uterus.
The feat was achieved using stem cells, and the resulting cell set was cultured for 14 days — the maximum allowed by ethical standards for this type of study. The research, which is still awaiting peer review, was published as a preprint in the prestigious journal Nature.
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The researchers claim that this model is “complete,” replicating all the key structures observed in real human embryos in the early stages of development.
Creation provides a valuable window into a period that, to date, remains largely unknown to science and is fundamental to the formation of a human being.
Although previous models of synthetic embryos have been developed, scientists at the Institute Weizmann point out that none were as complete or accurate as what they now present to the world scientific.
Scientists have developed a technique in which innovation lies in the use of immature stem cells, meticulously reprogrammed to become essential cells for creating a embryo.
Researchers induced stem cells to transform into four specific types:
Epiblastic cells, constituents of the fetus;
Trophoblastic cells, related to the placenta;
Hypoblastic cells, originating from the supporting yolk sac;
Extraembryonic cells of the mesoderm.
By combining all of them, resulting in approximately 120 units, researchers were able to compose the embryo. Remarkably, the cells began to develop autonomously.
As impressive as it may be, synthetic human embryo models have shown progress in their evolution.
On the seventh day of evolution, these structures were composed of approximately 120 cells, with a joint diameter of just 0.01 mm.
On the 14th day, an exponential growth was observed to around 2.5 thousand cells, resulting in a size of 0.5 mm in diameter.
(Image: disclosure)
In this two-week stage, it was possible to identify the formation of crucial components, such as the placenta, the yolk sac, the chorionic sac and other external tissues essential for the robust development of models.
Also noteworthy is a video in which the researchers clearly show structures similar to the yolk sac, highlighted in a yellow tone.
Studying human embryo models may be the key to understanding the enigma of early development. “The real magic happens in the first month. The subsequent eight months of pregnancy largely involve growth”, highlights one of the researchers involved in the project.
He points out that the early period remains largely unknown: “It's like a black box. The embryo model we developed from stem cells provides an ethical and practical way to investigate this enigma,” he explains.
With future analyzes and tests using this experiment, scientists seek to decipher the initial formation of the first organs.
Furthermore, they aim to identify whether, at such a stage, it is possible to detect the appearance of illnesses hereditary or genetic.
In the long term, these discoveries could revolutionize in vitro fertilization techniques, increasing the chances of many couples having biological descendants.
