Biden scraps human fetal tissue research limits while New York stops stem cell research funding
Appeared in BioNews 1092
President Joe Biden s administration has reversed the Trump-era decision which restricted federal funding for medical research using human fetal tissue from abortions.
A statement released by the US National Institute of Health (NIH) removed the ban on governmental researchers conducting such research and discontinued an ethical review board for screening external grant applications that was comprised primarily of individuals who publically oppose abortion. I m relieved, said Professor Alta Charo, professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in a Science article. I would call it a very welcome return to a socially responsible approach to the use of fetal tissue in research. The announcement was similarly applauded by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which stated: Ideologically driven politicians must not be all
The emergence of iBlastoids: Time to update the law?
Appeared in BioNews 1092
Adult human skin cells have been reprogrammed to form three-dimensional structures similar to early human embryos by a team led by Professor Jose Polo at Monash University, Australia (see BioNews 1088).
Called iBlastoids , they could potentially enable us to learn how early human embryos develop and implant in the uterus. The studies could also lead to medical treatments for conditions such as infertility, miscarriage, developmental disorders and genetic diseases.
Typically, the development of an embryo begins with an egg being fertilised by the sperm, leading to cell divisions. After about five days, it results in a ball of around 100 cells called the blastocyst. In comparison, iBlastoids are created when cells removed from the adult human body (in this experiment, skin cells) are reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, using the innovative technique pioneered by the Japanese scie
Scientists have moved closer to making organisms that are part human and part animal
The announcement has raised a litany of ethical questions. Representational image. | Lillian Suwarnumpha / AFP
The recent announcement that scientists have made human-monkey embryos and cultured them in the lab for two weeks made international headlines.
The technology to make animals that contain cells from other species has been available for decades and used extensively in research. These organisms are called “chimeras”.
But this latest advance highlights the need to broaden the discussion around the possible benefits of such research and, specifically, how inter-species chimeric research should be conducted in future.
A team of researchers led by the Spanish scientist Juan Carlos Izpisúa has created 132 human-monkey embryos in a laboratory in China, in a controversial experiment first revealed by EL PAÃS in the summer of 2019 and now officially published in detail.
Three of the embryos, which grew to contain up to 10,000 cells, developed for 19 days outside the uterus, at which point the researchers interrupted the study, they said in an article published by the scientific journal
Cell on April 15. Scientists use the term âchimeraâ from Greek mythology to refer to these hybrids, in reference to a creature with the head of a lion, a goatâs head on its back and a snakeâs head for a tail.
Re-imagining mice and men
Past President
Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
While everyone is preoccupied with mask-shaming and vaccine-cheerleading, scientists are engaged in critical research with a more lasting effect on our lives. For 100 years, scientists have dreamed of creating and developing life outside of a womb. In March 2021, that dream came true.
Scientists grew naturally conceived mouse embryos in tiny beakers for six days – the equivalent of the full first trimester of gestation. At this point, the embryos had an identifiable body shape and organs. This miracle of modern science, posted in a YouTube video, garnered a mere 9,400 views.