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For the study, some 10,000 stem cells were taken, of which only 50 managed to group together using the special device or incubator developed by the experts, which moved continuously like a mother’s womb. Those 50 cells clumped together into spheres and other embryo-like structures, leading the researchers to describe these creations as 95% similar to normal mouse embryos.
A group of scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Sciences in Israel assures that they created what would be the first synthetic embryos with stem cells, for which neither ovules, nor sperm, nor fertilization were used. The research, led by Palestinian cell biologist Jacob Hanna, shows that stem cells self-assemble, or self-organize, into structures similar to those of laboratory embryos.
“The study shows that you can use a special device that we make, a special medium that allows the natural growth of mouse embryos using that same system. We can put stem cells that grow in a dish for a long time, put them in these conditions, and they can self-organize in just eight days into a complete embryo,” Hanna explained.
For the study, some 10,000 stem cells were taken, of which only 50 managed to group together using the special device or incubator developed by the experts, which moved continuously like a mother’s womb. Those 50 cells clumped together into spheres and other embryo-like structures, leading the researchers to describe these creations as 95% similar to normal mouse embryos. The greatest importance of this technique lies in the fact that, in the future, it could allow the manufacture of organs that are required, reducing the possibility of rejection by the body.
“The big problem with transplants is that you need to find a compatible donor and the DNA is never identical to that of the patient. So there will always be a rejection or you have to take steroids to suppress that response. With this method and if we apply differentiation, the cells will be from the same patient, that is, the exact DNA, without the need for donors and there will be no rejection”, added Hanna.
However, a part of the scientific community reacted by assuring that these cannot be considered embryos because they do not give rise to a viable individual that is capable of reproducing. In addition, they indicate that the technique would have important ethical consequences. However, they recognize that they can be the starting point for the manufacture of organs, which would be the main point of the value of the research.
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