Stem cells are basic cells that then change to produce other cells, organs and parts of the body. Therefore, scientists are very interested in studying stem cells for treatment purposes as well as learning more about the physiology of the body. All this time we were taught to produce a mammalian embryo, sperm and egg need to join. But scientists from the United Kingdom have succeeded in producing embryos without these two components.
On the other hand, a mouse embryo was successfully produced in the laboratory using only stem cells. The three types of backbone required for the formation of the embryo combine with it to form the brain and the beating heart. However, this embryo only lasts for 8.5 days because it is not placed in the uterus.
This is not the first time that embryos have been successfully produced from stem cells. Earlier this month scientists from Israel also announced a similar breakthrough but the team from the UK said their paper had undergone a revision process over the past year and was more complex.
The formation of embryos from these stem cells has several medical applications such as producing replacement organs when needed in the future and studying why miscarriages occur during pregnancy. With the information gathered the issue of miscarriage may be resolved in the future along with the shortage of donated organs.
A research paper on creating embryos using only stem cells has been published in the journal Nature.