Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute say they have created a synthetic embryo using stem cells from mice. The move came after researchers discovered these can be manipulated to self-assemble and develop into primitive embryo-like structures featuring an intestinal tract, a beating heart, and the beginnings of brain tissue.
The fake embryos are referred to as synthetic because they were developed from biological material without the presence of eggs, sperm, or the fertilization process.
The scientists say they hope to use the results of the study, entitled Post-Gastrulation Synthetic Embryos Generated Ex Utero from Mouse Naïve ESCs, to better understand the way embryonic organs develop.
Project leader, Professor Jacob Hanna, said “Remarkably, we show that embryonic stem cells generate whole synthetic embryos, meaning this includes the placenta and yolk sac surrounding the embryo,”.
The paper published in Cell states, “In vitro cultured stem cells with distinct developmental capacities can contribute to 4 embryonic or extra-embryonic tissues after microinjection into pre-implantation mammalian 5 embryos.”
Continuing, “However, whether cultured stem cells can independently give rise to entire gastrulating 6 embryo-like structures with embryonic and extra-embryonic compartments, remains unknown.
“The researchers say, “Our findings highlight the plastic potential of naïve pluripotent cells to self-organize and functionally reconstitute and model the entire mammalian embryo beyond gastrulation.”