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Review
. 2021 May 11;16(5):1021-1030.
doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.023.

Biomedical and societal impacts of in vitro embryo models of mammalian development

Naomi Moris  1 , Cantas Alev  2 , Martin Pera  3 , Alfonso Martinez Arias  4
Affiliations
Review

Biomedical and societal impacts of in vitro embryo models of mammalian development

Naomi Moris et al. Stem Cell Reports. .

Abstract

In recent years, a diverse array of in vitro cell-derived models of mammalian development have been described that hold immense potential for exploring fundamental questions in developmental biology, particularly in the case of the human embryo where ethical and technical limitations restrict research. These models open up new avenues toward biomedical advances in in vitro fertilization, clinical research, and drug screening with potential to impact wider society across many diverse fields. These technologies raise challenging questions with profound ethical, regulatory, and social implications that deserve due consideration. Here, we discuss the potential impacts of embryo-like models, and their biomedical potential and current limitations.

Keywords: Pluripotent stem cells; disease models; ethics; models of embryonic development; teratogens.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest N.M. and A.M.-A. have a patent application covering the generation and use of human gastruloids (PCT/GB2019/052670) filed by Cambridge Enterprise on behalf of the University of Cambridge. The other authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic summary of the potential applications, benefits, and limitations of in vitro embryo models compared with embryos for research and therapy
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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