First synthetic human embryo succeeds without sperm and eggs
Research teams from the University of Cambridge and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel announced on June 15 and 14, respectively, that they have successfully used stem cells to create the world's first synthetic human embryo model without the involvement of sperm and eggs, in pre-printed studies that were reported in Nature on June 16. Currently, laws in many countries require that natural human embryos should not be cultured in the laboratory for more than 14 days, and researchers must use animal models to study the later stages of embryonic development, a restriction that synthetic embryo models can circumvent. In response Nature News notes, "Such experiments could provide an unprecedented opportunity to study human embryo development, but also raise ethical and legal questions about the status of such embryo models and how they should be regulated." (Source: Nature, bioRxiv) The signing ceremony of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Peking Union Medi...