The creation of synthetic human embryos

Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells for the first time. This major breakthrough could aid research into genetic disorders - but also raises ethical issues.

Tell me more.

Created without egg or sperm, these structures are at the very earliest stages of human development. They “do not have a beating heart or the beginnings of a brain, but include cells that would typically go on to form the placenta, yolk sac and the embryo itself,” explained The Guardian.

Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, from the University of Cambridge and California Institute of Technology, shared the development at the International Society for Stem Cell Research’s annual meeting in Boston on Wednesday.

Why is this a big deal?

Scientists hope that these model embryos will aid research into genetic disorders and the biological causes of miscarriage.

Commenting on the findings, Professor James Briscoe from The Francis Crick Institute - who was not involved in the research - said the breakthrough could provide a “fundamental insight” into critical stages of human development.

What issues does it raise?

The research has sparked “critical legal and ethical questions”, said CNN, especially as many countries don’t currently have laws which govern “the creation or treatment of synthetic embryos”.

According to The Guardian, scientists are already moving to establish guidelines on the use of these embryo models.

Is there anything else I should know?

The synthetic embryos will not be used clinically anytime soon, and it would be illegal to implant them into a patient’s womb.

And, as Sky News pointed out, “it remains unknown whether the synthetic models could develop into viable embryos if implanted”.