Stem cells of younger embryos

2005/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Genetika

At the Reproductive Genetics Institute in Chicago, USA, stem cell lines have grown from human embryos for as little as four days.

Embryos of five or six days have been used to date, which are in the blastocytic phase. But embryos have growth problems and many die. Therefore, stem cells seek techniques to extract them from the youngest possible embryos.

They say that the technique they have used is quite simple, probably simpler than what has been done so far, and that similar cell types are extracted from stem cells. Specifically, 46 human embryos were used (in the morulae period) and eight stem cell lines were achieved, the same result achieved with the blasts approximately.

Even with such young embryos it will not be possible to avoid ethical discussions, since the embryo is destroyed exactly the same. But, at least, as they move forward, it may be possible to use embryos that cannot become children for stem cell growth.