We are close to making babies from stem cells. Than it threatens?

by using bone marrow humanity was on the verge of reproductive evolution

In 2007, a group of researchers announced a startling discovery: they created such sperm cells from stem cells, obtained from the bone marrow of a person. However, two years later, the study was removed due to allegations of plagiarism. And now, thirteen years later, the ability to create functional human sperm from stem cells remains a challenge for many scientists around the world. Because it would once and forever solve the problem of people who can't conceive. And you have to hope for further evolution. And judging by the results of studies to obtain sperm from stem cells much more real than going into a black hole.

is it Possible to create gametes from stem cells

Scientists have tried to figure out how to create a functioning human gametes — oocytes and sperm from stem cells for 20 or 30 years, says Vittorio Sebastiano, a biologist from Stanford University, whose research focused on reproductive biology. This will help people who are struggling with infertility, have children, and scientists will be able to unlock the secrets of human development. Since 2007, they have made significant progress in this direction, having created healthy baby mice from sperm generated from stem cells and even immature human eggs. But there is still a long way to go before scientists will be able to turn the bone marrow in human infants.

We're really trying to find ways to efficiently and reliably generate sex cells, which in the short term you can use for the conception of children — says Sebastiano.

how does this differ from ECO

When in 1978 the first baby was born, conceived with in vitro fertilization (IVF), this is a big step forward in reproductive science and a forerunner of stem cell research conducted today. But or a couple trying to have a baby. For example, it is impossible to make those who are born without any gametes or received aggressive cancer treatment at a young age. The new scientific method will provide these people a new chance on the birth of their children.

The Next important step was made in 2000-ies, when it was created induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSC). These cells are derived from blood cells or skin preprogramming to transform them into embryonic cells that can develop in the body. Since then, researchers have tried to figure out how to turn these embryopathies cells into functional sperm and eggs.

Colony of induced pluripotent stem cells used to treat rare genetic diseases — Fanconi anemia.

According to Sebastiano, this work was partly complicated by the fact that scientists could not fully understand what happens to a human embryo during normal development. Scientists go through this process in mice because the rodents are easy to study in the laboratory. But ethical constraints and technical factors (e.g., access to the embryos at the right time) make the study of this phenomenon in humans.

farmed eggs

Despite the obstacles, researchers have made significant progress over the past 10 years. In 2012 a group of researchers in Japan have created fertilized eggs of mice from stem cells and used these eggs for breeding healthy mice. Thus, scientists have shown that it is possible to get these cells to become fully functional egg cells or sperm.

a Group of scientists were able to turn embryonic stem cells are mouse cells that function as sperm.

According to the scientists, similar attempts . For many years we have conducted several experiments to create spermatogonia cells, including during examination of the bone marrow in 2007. Probably in the next few years we will be able to generate fully functional sperm and eggs. However, the question will be how scientists check the quality of these gametes.

First in the history of science, the embryo, created without of eggs and sperm. To achieve this was through the cultivation of embryo stem cells directly in the Petri dish for microscopic 3D frame from the gel.

What are the dangers of growing children from stem cells?

The Only way to fully appreciate the quality and functionality of sperm or eggs — to use them, that is to try to fertilize another gamete and produce a child. That is why this work must be approached with extreme caution. As soon as the scientists will develop methods that, in their opinion, produce Mature human eggs and sperm, the next step is to test these practices on primates. Thus, the researchers can trace the whole lives of individual animals raised with this method to see whether there will be any unexpected problems, says Sebastiano.

The Biologist no doubt that one day these stem cells can help people , to give birth to healthy children. Of course, there are also important ethical considerations that must be carefully considered. He notes that this method can affect human life at the level of generations. Many people are also concerned about other impacts in the future such as the ability to create "designer babies" or to produce offspring from hair stolen from unsuspecting celebrities. You must begin to examine medical and legal issues associated with this method now before it becomes viable.

Obviously, there is a need to create children this way, but since we are really dealing with a very unique type of cell... we need to be careful.