(NewsNation) — Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, according a to a report from The Guardian.
The work was announced Wednesday by Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz, of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology. It could help researchers understand the impact of genetic disorders and biological causes of recurrent miscarriages, according to the report.
Their work, which has not yet been published, is limited. Scientists can only grow embryos up to the legal limit of 14 days, and it would be against the law to transfer them to a womb, according to The Guardian.
Some researchers, however, say research specifically regarding stem cell models of human embryos requires its own set of regulations.
“Unlike human embryos arising from in vitro fertilisation (IVF), where there is an established legal framework, there are currently no clear regulations governing stem cell derived models of human embryos,” James Briscoe, senior group leader at The Francis Crick Institute said in a statement. “There is an urgent need for regulations to provide a framework for the creation and use of stem cell derived models of human embryos.”
The synthetic embryos don’t have beating hearts or brain development. They do, however, “include cells that would typically go on to form the placenta, yolk sac and the embryo itself,” The Guardian reported.
Still, it’s unclear whether the form could develop into a living being.
Previous research conducted with mice showed the synthetic embryos did not grow to become live mice after they were implanted into a female mouse’s womb.