Is Life Born Without Mating or Fertilization Ethical? [Reading Science]

English-Israel Research Team Recently Succeeds in Culturing Embryonic Cells Using Mouse Stem Cells
Human Application Soon Possible, Potential Uses in Life Mysteries and Genetic Disease Treatment
Calls to Reconsider '14-Day Post-Implantation' Limit on Human Embryonic Cell Research Regulations Expected to Rise

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Mammals, including humans, create new life through the fertilization of sperm and egg. However, scientists have recently produced a series of animal experiment results in which embryos were created solely from stem cells, bypassing this stage, and developed up to the formation of the brain and organs. While this could help illuminate the mysteries of life and aid in treating genetic disorders and other incurable diseases, ethical concerns have also been raised.

According to the international journal Nature on the 25th, recent papers by research teams from the University of Cambridge in the UK and the Weizmann Institute in Israel were published consecutively in Nature and the biotechnology journal Cell. Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz and her team at the University of Cambridge succeeded, after 10 years of research, in developing synthetic stem cell embryos by adding stem cells that generate the placenta and yolk sac to mouse embryonic stem cells, culturing them up to 8.5 days?a stage where the heart and brain form. Considering that the gestation period of mice is about 20 days, this represents nearly half of the pregnancy duration. Notably, the team observed the process of organ formation in mice. The embryos grown to 8.5 days had beating hearts, distinct formation of the brain including the frontal lobe, and the emergence of major organs such as the neural tube. Earlier, on the 1st of this month, the Weizmann Institute in Israel also announced similar research results. The institute created complete artificial embryos with placenta and yolk sac from mouse embryonic stem cells and cultured them for about 8.5 days, allowing observation of various organ formation stages including the brain.

These research results have caused a significant impact as they suggest the possibility of extending stem cell-based artificial embryo research to humans. Mammals develop through stages starting from fertilized egg formation → blastocyst → implantation → embryo after sperm and egg fertilization. Until now, scientists had only managed to create blastocyst stages using stem cells in mice and cultured them for 2?3 days. However, recent successive studies are significant because they observed the growth process in an artificial uterus environment, not inside the mouse body, from implantation to the embryo stage, covering nearly half of the gestation period, which is the main organ development phase.

Scientists believe that these mouse model research results will soon be applicable to humans. In fact, last year, researchers succeeded in creating blastocysts based on human stem cells, and artificial uterus and culture media necessary for further growth have also been developed. Professor Jenping Fu of the University of Michigan’s Department of Biotechnology said, "This research is very interesting and is likely to lead to artificial embryo research based on human stem cells."

Therefore, voices are emerging calling for the reestablishment of social consensus and standards regarding research using human embryonic cells. Currently, South Korea’s Bioethics Act and global regulations allow research on human embryonic cells only up to 14 days post-implantation. However, the International Society for Stem Cell Research revised its ethical guidelines last year to permit research beyond 14 days, raising the need for renewed discussion on social consensus.

A domestic researcher stated, "These research results provide a good tool to study problems such as genetic disorders occurring in the early stages of human development. Although applying this to humans is still premature, as research results and knowledge accumulate, if it becomes possible to predict and prepare for potential scientific outcomes and risks, it will be necessary to reconsider social standards for human embryonic cell research."