It was possible to grow a monkey embryo from embryonic stem cells. article about it published In Cell Stem Cell.
Biologists know very little about early fetal development, including how the egg begins to divide and form both the organs of the human (or animal) body and the placenta. Especially since modern society condemns experiments on human embryos, scientists cannot fully begin research due to ethical constraints. In this regard, a few years ago biologists were able to obtain mouse embryos from stem cells, but rodents are evolutionarily distant from humans and are not a suitable model organism.
Now, a team of scientists led by Liu Zhen of the Shanghai Neuroscience Institute in Shanghai Canaan has succeeded in doing the same thing with monkey embryos that resemble humans anatomically and genetically. Experiments were carried out with stem cells of the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis). To solve this problem, the scientists studied in detail what signaling molecules are produced by the female body and the dividing egg in the early stages of its development.
The scientists used this information to create a special nutrient medium that specifically “reprograms” embryonic stem cells extracted from already formed embryos or umbilical cord blood, resetting their development programs. This makes it possible to use these bodies for the formation of the so-called blastoids, which are man-made analogues of the blastocyst, one of the first stages of embryonic development that occurs in the first two weeks of pregnancy.
The resulting objects were placed in the womb of female monkeys, and the blastoids continued their normal biological development into the gastrula stage and most importantly adhered to the walls of the womb. This moment can be considered the real beginning of pregnancy. Now the authors hope to obtain an embryo that can reach a higher stage of development and develop into a fully formed embryo with prominent organs in the future. In particular, research in this area will help treat some types of infertility.
previous experiment showedThe disappearing balloon trick can’t fool the monkeys.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.