All articles tagged with #human embryos
A Nature News & Views piece explains how researchers are using adenine base editing to modify human embryos in order to probe the function of NANOG in early development, offering a precise way to study gene roles while fueling ongoing debates about heritable genome editing.
Researchers delivered ABE8e-V106W base editor as a protein at fertilization to human embryos, achieving editing at all PCSK9 alleles and supporting development to the blastocyst with homozygous edited stem cells; no insertions/deletions were detected, though rare chromosomal abnormalities occurred. Bystander and off-target edits were mosaic, and delivering the editor as mRNA caused embryo arrest. While base-editor–induced lesions are efficiently repaired compared with Cas9 breaks, current safety concerns prevent clinical use in reproduction.
Researchers used base editing to disrupt NANOG in donated human embryos, revealing NANOG’s crucial role in forming the epiblast and early tissues, a finding not seen in mice and highlighting limits of animal models. While base editing appears more precise than CRISPR–Cas9 and may reduce some risks, mosaicism and other safety hurdles remain, and experts are calling for urgent ethical discussions about if, when, and how such germline edits could be used in humans.
Japan has approved research to create human embryos from stem cells without using ovaries or testes, marking a significant step in in vitro gametogenesis, which could lead to new reproductive technologies and raise ethical questions.
Researchers have developed a new imaging technique using fluorescent dyes and laser microscopes to capture the most detailed images of human embryos developing in real time. This non-invasive method allows for the study of crucial events in the early stages of development without genetically altering the embryos. The technique could have applications in non-invasive screening of embryos conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and may provide insights into chromosomal abnormalities and variations in embryonic development between humans and mice. The researchers hope to further improve the imaging process and potentially use it in clinical settings to determine the viability of embryos before implantation.
The race to build human embryo models from stem cells has sparked global controversy, with researchers making significant progress in growing stem cells into structures resembling human embryos. However, concerns have been raised about the lack of outside analysis, ethical considerations, and legal regulations. The spread of misinformation and accusations of overblown claims have further fueled the debate surrounding synthetic babies.