British scientists claim they have made a breakthrough in genetic engineering: they created a " The embryos were created from stem cells and were able to start developing brains, hearts and other organs within a week..

The researchers believe that their work will be the basis for the creation of laboratory-grown organs for transplantation..

This new study is one of the first successful attempts to create a functional mouse embryo from scratch..

Published in Nature, the work is the culmination of years of research by scientists from the University of Cambridge.. To create their embryo, they combined the three main types of embryonic stem cells in the right mix and medium, allowing them to mimic what happens naturally during embryonic development..

From that point on, cells began to form the basic structures of the embryo and began to progress through the early stages of development, including the formation of the yolk sac, brain, and beating heart.. Embryos survived up to eight and a half days.

Technically, the team is not the first to claim the creation of a synthetic mouse embryo.. On August 1, Israeli scientists published an article in Cell detailing their own lab embryo.

At the same time, the British authors noted that their work went through a peer review process for about a year before the Israeli article was submitted for publication, and they claim that their model is more complex than any other to date..

“This is truly the first model to study brain development in the context of the entire developing embryo,” said lead author Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, professor of mammalian development and stem cell biology at Cambridge University..

Zernichka-Goetz and her team say this study will help identify reasons why pregnancies may fail early, even before people know about it.. Estimates fluctuate, but 20 to 50% of pregnancies can end in miscarriage.. Also, many embryos created using in vitro fertilization may not be implanted in the uterus.. Even the opportunity to study these early stages of growth up close could provide scientists with a wealth of information about how we become who we are..

“This is an absolutely fantastic developmental milestone and is extremely important for the rest of our lives,” said Zernichka-Goetz..

There are also practical health implications that could result from this study, including more accurate detection of fetal malformations in early pregnancy.. The team's study showed that not all embryos diagnosed with defective cells will have health problems, as the embryo can recover to a certain extent..

“In the end, what we learn here can be a lesson in how to create fully functional synthetic organs,” the scientists share their plans..

However, these studies are currently at an early stage.. In addition, ethical issues may arise in the course of work..

However, the team's biggest challenge right now is creating synthetic mouse embryos that could survive development in the lab (mice take about 20 days to fully develop).. In all likelihood, such advances will require the creation of artificial wombs or placenta-like structures, and scientists are also working hard on this..