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posted by n1 on Thursday May 05 2016, @01:11AM   Printer-friendly
from the life-finds-a-way dept.

Scientists have developed a way to keep embyros alive outside of a womb for days longer than before, by using a mix of amino acids, hormones, and growth factors:

Zernicka-Goetz says being able to go past the previous limit is "extremely important" from a scientific point of view. That's because the seventh day of development is the time when the human embryo becomes embedded within the body of the mother — when it becomes implanted in the womb. Scientists had thought embryos could only keep developing if they were safely in the womb and receiving instructions from the mother's body.

But the embryos in the studies implanted in the dish like they they would in the womb. Then they started organizing themselves into the very early stages of different complex organs and tissues and structures in the body, the researchers report.

A commentary accompanying the research urges regulators to revisit the "14-day rule":

In principle, these two lines of research could lead to scientists being able to study all aspects of early human development with unprecedented precision. Yet these advances also put human developmental biology on a collision course with the '14-day rule' — a legal and regulatory line in the sand that has for decades limited in vitro human-embryo research to the period before the 'primitive streak' appears. This is a faint band of cells marking the beginning of an embryo's head-to-tail axis. The 14-day rule has been effective for permitting embryo research within strict constraints — partly because it has been technologically challenging for scientists to break it. Now that the culturing of human embryos beyond 14 days seems feasible, more clarity as to how the rule applies to different types of embryo research in different jurisdictions is crucial. Moreover, in light of the evolving science and its potential benefits, it is important that regulators and concerned citizens reflect on the nature of the restriction and re-evaluate its pros and cons.

Self-organization of the in vitro attached human embryo (DOI: 10.1038/nature17948)

Self-organization of the human embryo in the absence of maternal tissues (DOI: 10.1038/ncb3347)


Original Submission

Related Stories

Fetal Lambs Grown for 4 Weeks in Artificial Womb 12 comments

Various news outlets are reporting on work published in Nature Communications (open, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15112) (DX) on:

[...] a system that incorporates a pumpless oxygenator circuit connected to the fetus of a lamb via an umbilical cord interface that is maintained within a closed 'amniotic fluid' circuit that closely reproduces the environment of the womb. [...] fetal lambs that are developmentally equivalent to the extreme premature human infant can be physiologically supported in this extra-uterine device for up to 4 weeks.

Coverage:

Related stories:
Scientists Keep Human Embryos Alive Longer Outside of the Womb
Prematurely Born Lambs Kept Alive With Artificial External Placenta - Human Babies Could be Next


Original Submission

First Known Attempt at Genetically Modifying Human Embryos in the U.S. is an Apparent Success 28 comments

U.S. scientists have genetically modified human embyros using CRISPR and have apparently avoided the worst of the off-target effects that have plagued previous efforts. The results are unpublished and the team is not commenting yet:

The first known attempt at creating genetically modified human embryos in the United States has been carried out by a team of researchers in Portland, Oregon, Technology Review has learned.

The effort, led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health and Science University, involved changing the DNA of a large number of one-cell embryos with the gene-editing technique CRISPR, according to people familiar with the scientific results.

Until now, American scientists have watched with a combination of awe, envy, and some alarm as scientists elsewhere were first to explore the controversial practice. To date, three previous reports of editing human embryos were all published by scientists in China.

Now Mitalipov is believed to have broken new ground both in the number of embryos experimented upon and by demonstrating that it is possible to safely and efficiently correct defective genes that cause inherited diseases.

Although none of the embryos were allowed to develop for more than a few days—and there was never any intention of implanting them into a womb—the experiments are a milestone on what may prove to be an inevitable journey toward the birth of the first genetically modified humans.

Also at STAT News.

Previously: Chinese Scientists Have Genetically Modified Human Embryos
NIH Won't Fund Human Germline Modification
Group of Scientists and Bioethicists Back Genetic Modification of Human Embryos
The International Summit on Human Gene Editing
UK Scientist Makes the Case for Editing Human Embryos
Second Chinese Team Reports Gene Editing in Human Embryos
Scientists Keep Human Embryos Alive Longer Outside of the Womb
Francis Collins Retains Position as Director of the National Institutes of Health


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Thursday May 05 2016, @01:21AM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday May 05 2016, @01:21AM (#341861) Journal

    I was impressed enough with this article, I emailed it to all the women in my life.

    Oh yeah - we have a new member of the family. Little baby Clover is almost two days old now. Healthy ten pound girl, mother and daughter are home, and doing well. This one didn't need any special care, but many do.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @02:38AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @02:38AM (#341881)

      I was impressed enough with this article, I emailed it to all the women in my life.

      That's the idea, demonstrate to as many females as possible that you respect women. You can't risk being accused of not respecting women, or your life will be over. Women control social everything, and in our social times, you must appear to respect women, or you will be utterly destroyed by vengeful bitch cunts.

      • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday May 05 2016, @01:36PM

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday May 05 2016, @01:36PM (#342019) Journal

        *YAWN*

        Whatever it is that you mumbled, I'm afraid that I just didn't catch it. If it's important enough, I supposed you'll repeat yourself.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @02:57PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @02:57PM (#342051)

        Well, ok. Runaway's comment could be read in that manner. I guess. Personally I was just confused by why he felt the need to forward this to every cisfemale hunny he knows or how this is relevant at all to the cisfemale hunnies.

        Here's what's going to bake your noodle later on! What happens when cisfemale hunnies no longer have a monopoly on reproduction? Feminism, as I know it at least, is going to do everything possible to stop that inevitability from happening. And naturally, conservative Christians will be right with them.

        So I guess, having wrote that, now I'm really confused by why Runaway forwarded this to cisfemale hunnies. I don't know. I don't understand everything. Something about pegs and holes but that's too close to trying to go for a dirty joke.

        At any rate, I'm still waiting for feminists and conservatives to propose some kind of law that will force people who are unable to grow babies inside their bodies to have their birth certificate reissued with a big M by "gender." At least, that's what would happen if the world were fair. It's the only way to do what the North Carolina bathroom law wishes to do. (Because what it's actually done, if it ever gets enforced, well... I guess I'll probably just continue to be flabbergasted by how immune some feminists and conservatives are to reality when they realize, to their horror, that they've just forced trans men into the women's room and given trans women who have had bottom surgery a legal reason to be in the women's room all while massively inconveniencing every cisfemale hunny who needs to take a piss. Bwahaha! Me, I'll just stick to my normal trolling of the men's room with my woman suit!)

        Eh, ok, mod this to -1 as well. While absolutely factual, it's too off topic to be a troll.

    • (Score: 2) by halcyon1234 on Friday May 06 2016, @02:01AM

      by halcyon1234 (1082) on Friday May 06 2016, @02:01AM (#342357)
      Congrats. Baby Molly was born 8 days ago. She's an IVF baby, and lived for 5 days outside the womb. The egg with the cluster of cells that become her outcompeted 4 other similar ones. 5 days is the current max, which is up from 3. It's made a HUGE difference in being able to determine the viability of an embryo. I can only image how much more precise it'll be the more days they get-- and how that will help other couples struggling with fertility. My wife and I went through 4 years of hell to finally have our kid.

      Sent from some device but who cares because my week-old daughter is snoozing on my chest.
      --
      Original Submission [thedailywtf.com]
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 06 2016, @08:52AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 06 2016, @08:52AM (#342474)

        Sent from some device but who cares because my week-old daughter is snoozing on my chest.

        Ah, fatherhood. As I used to say: "Daddy's got you."

  • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Thursday May 05 2016, @01:55AM

    by butthurt (6141) on Thursday May 05 2016, @01:55AM (#341872) Journal
  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @06:31AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @06:31AM (#341935)

    With Runaway, it is always about sex. I am starting to worry that this is all overcompensation for, um, something. Sending all the women in your life an article about how they are no longer necessary? Buggers, man! What are you thinking? Did you run this by the Arch Bishop first? Are you trying to give Catholics a bad name?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @09:07AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @09:07AM (#341965)

    I have personally left deposits of amino acids, hormones, and growth factors in socks and tissues in my bedroom for up to 14 days. I thought that was still legal in my State. Shit, sorry Mom, I'll clean it up for you.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @03:23PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 05 2016, @03:23PM (#342062)

      Ugh, gross. Make sure to use the steam cycle setting. :)

  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday May 05 2016, @04:35PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Thursday May 05 2016, @04:35PM (#342099)

    Instead of dealing with all the messiness of human families, why not replace them with an organized system of "hatcheries", where children are "decanted" rather than born?

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    • (Score: 2) by arulatas on Thursday May 05 2016, @08:09PM

      by arulatas (3600) on Thursday May 05 2016, @08:09PM (#342210)

      That is where the corporations can get all of their compliant workers to order, Alphas, Betas, Gammas and Epsilons. Get them while they are hot.

      --
      ----- 10 turns around
      • (Score: 2) by legont on Friday May 06 2016, @12:36AM

        by legont (4179) on Friday May 06 2016, @12:36AM (#342323)

        Yes they could, but currently they get the new workers for free - we make them and pay for them. It's hard to compete with free beer.
        On the other hand, once babies are out of the equation, the invisible hand will bring worker's compensation to what it should be in an efficient market - just enough for survival.
        Amateur babies are way too expensive.

        --
        "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.