February 11, 2020

Hyun et al published a piece in Stem Cell Reports commenting on the possiblility and implications of using stem cells to create embryo-like models.  They end the piece with a summart of ethical considerations and research oversight recommendations, pointing towards transparency in research and avoiding models that mimic proper embryos.

Abstract: Over the past few years, a number of research groups have reported striking progress on the generation of in vitro models from mouse and human stem cells that replicate aspects of early embryonic development. Not only do these models reproduce some key cell fate decisions but, especially in the mouse system, they also mimic the spatiotemporal arrangements of embryonic and extraembryonic tissues that are required for developmental patterning and implantation in the uterus. If such models could be developed for the early human embryo, they would have great potential benefits for understanding early human development, for biomedical science, and for reducing the use of animals and human embryos in research. However, guidelines for the ethical conduct of this line of work are at present not well defined. In this Forum article, we discuss some key aspects of this emerging area of research and provide some recommendations for its ethical oversight.