June 19, 2023

expert reaction to reports of scientists having created a model human embryo with a heartbeat, as reported in the Guardian

The article reports on a talk given by Dr Jitesh Neupane on Saturday at the International Society for Stem Cell Researcher’s annual meeting.

Prof Roger Sturmey, Chair of the Guideline Working Group for the GSCBEM project; Professor of Reproductive Medicine, Hull York Medical School; and Senior Research Fellow, University of Manchester, said:

“There has been a flurry of reports of scientific ‘breakthroughs’, coinciding with a major international scientific conference.  This is another fascinating scientific report that does require further scrutiny.  It will be important that this, like the many other exciting recent studies in this area go through proper scientific review.  However, the UK research community has for some time been actively working on a framework called “Governance of Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models (G-SCBEM) to provide public reassurance and scientific rigour to research using stem cell based embryo models.”

Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jun/18/model-embryo-with-heartbeat-replicates-cells-in-early-pregnancy

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