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CNN
an hour ago
- Health
- CNN
Could stem cells be used to create life without sperm or egg? Not yet, but here's why scientists are concerned
Maternal health Women's healthFacebookTweetLink Follow Scientists are exploring ways to mimic the origins of human life without two fundamental components: sperm and egg. They are coaxing clusters of stem cells – programmable cells that can transform into many different specialized cell types – to form laboratory-grown structures that resemble human embryos. These embryo models are far from perfect replicas. But as labs compete to grow the best likeness, the structures are becoming increasingly complex, looking and behaving in some way as embryos would. The structures could further the study of human development and the causes infertility. However, the dizzying pace of the research, which started little more than a decade ago, is posing ethical, legal and regulatory challenges for the field of developmental biology. 'We could have never anticipated the science would have just progressed like this. It's incredible, it's been transformative how quickly the field has moved, said Amander Clark, a professor of molecular cell and developmental biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the founding director of the UCLA Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education. 'However, as these models advance, it is crucial that they are studied in a framework that balances scientific progress with ethical, legal and social considerations.' Clark is co-chair of the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Embryo Models Working Group, which is now trying to update such a framework on a global scale. At issue is the question of how far researchers could go with these stem cells, given time and the right conditions. Could scientists eventually replicate an actual embryo that has a heartbeat and experiences pain, or one that could grow into a fully developed human model? As current research stands, no model mimics the development of a human embryo in its entirety — nor is any model suspected of having the potential to form a fetus, the next stage in human development equivalent to week 8 or day 56 in a human pregnancy. Creating embryo models has also been a hit-and-miss process for most research groups, with only a small percentage of stem cells going on to self-organize into embryo-like structures. However, the models do exhibit several internal features and cell types that an embryo needs to develop, such as the amnion, yolk sac and primitive streak, and that could, 'with future improvements, eventually progress toward later embryo structures including heart, brain, and other organ rudiments,' according to a June paper coauthored by Clark and published in the journal Stem Cell Reports. Similar models made with mouse cells have reached the point where the brain begins to develop and a heart forms. Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna tells Fareed about her path to becoming a leading scientist and explains how her discovery of CRISPR can help cure diseases and improve crops. Critically, the goal isn't to develop these models into viable fetuses, ultimately capable of human sentience, but to develop a useful research tool that unlocks the mysteries of how a human cell divides and reproduces to become a human body. The models also make way for experiments that can't be performed on donated embryos in a lab. However, it's possible as research advances that the distinction between a lab-grown model and a living human embryo could become blurred. And because the models lie at the intersection of historically controversial fields — stem cell biology and embryology — the work merits closer oversight than other forms of scientific research, Clark said. Clark and the ISSCR's Embryo Models Working Group in June recommended enhanced oversight of research involving the models. The society's guidelines, which first included guidance on embryo models in 2021, are being revised to incorporate the recommendations of the group and will be released in a few weeks. The current ISSCR guidelines make a distinction between 'integrated embryo models' that replicate the entire embryo, and 'non-integrated models' that replicate just one part of an embryo, requiring stricter oversight of the former. The updated guidelines will instead recommend that all research involving both types of embryo models should undergo 'appropriate ethical and scientific review.' The proposed update will also set out two red lines: The current guidance already prohibits the transfer of human embryo models into a human or animal uterus. The updated version will also advise scientists not use human embryo models to pursue ectogenesis: the development of an embryo outside the human body via the use of artificial wombs — essentially creating life from scratch. According to Clark, the stem cell-based embryo models she and other research teams work on should be considered distinct from research on actual human embryos, usually surplus IVF embryos donated to science. Such research is tightly regulated in many countries, and banned in others, including Germany, Austria and Italy. It makes sense, at least for now, to treat models and real embryos differently, said Emma Cave, a professor of healthcare law at Durham University in the UK who works on embryo models. She uses diamonds as an analogy: Natural diamonds and their commercially lab-grown equivalents are made from the same chemical components, but society assigns them different values. She cautioned there shouldn't be a rush to regulate embryo models too quickly in case it shuts down promising research. 'We are at an early stage in their development, where it could be that in 5, 10, 15, 20 years, that they could look very like a human embryo, or it might be they never get to that stage,' she said. As the scientific research unfolds, oversight of embryo models is taking different shapes in different jurisdictions. Australia has taken the strictest approach. It includes embryo models within the regulatory framework that governs the use of human embryos, requiring a special permit for research. The Netherlands in 2023 similarly proposed treating 'non-conventional embryos' the same as human embryos in the eyes of the law. The proposal is still under discussion, according to the Health Council of the Netherlands. Researchers in the United Kingdom released a voluntary code of conduct in 2024, and Japan has also issued new guidelines governing research in the field. In the United States, embryo models aren't covered by any specific legal framework, and research proposals are considered by individual institutions and funding bodies, Clark noted. The National Institutes of Health said in 2021 that it would consider applications for public funding of research into embryo models on a case-by-case basis and monitor developments to understand the capabilities of these models. Few other countries, however, appear poised to adopt specific legislation on embryo models, making the guidelines issued by the ISSCR a 'highly influential' reference for researchers around the world, according to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, a London-based organization that advises on ethical issues in biomedicine. The council said in a November 2024 report that international guidelines were key to avoid 'research being carried out that does not meet high ethical and scientific standards; this in turn could impact on the national public perception of risk, leading to a more risk-averse approach that hinders responsible scientific development.' Clark said the ISSCR's updated voluntary guidelines would help scientific funding bodies around the world better evaluate applications and publishers of research understand whether work was performed in an ethically responsible way, particularly in places where the law or other guidelines don't take embryo models into account. The future challenge for regulators is to understand when and whether an embryo model would be functionally the same as a human embryo and therefore potentially afforded the same or similar protection as those surrounding human embryos, said Naomi Moris, group leader at The Francis Crick Institute's developmental models laboratory. The only definitive test would be to transfer the model into the uterus of a surrogate, a move that's forbidden by current bioethical standards. However, Moris is among a group of researchers that has proposed to two tipping points or 'Turing tests' — inspired by computer scientist Alan Turing's way of determining whether machines can think like humans — to evaluate when distinctions between a lab-gown model and a human embryo would disappear. 'These things are not embryos at the moment, they clearly don't have the same capacity as an embryo does. But how would we know ahead of time that we were approaching that?' Moris said. 'That was the logic behind it. What metrics would we use as a kind of proxy for the potential of an embryo model that might then suggest that it was at least approaching the same sorts of equivalency as an embryo.' The first test would measure whether the models can be consistently produced and faithfully develop over a given period as normal embryos would. The second test would assess when animal stem cell embryo models — particularly animals closest to humans such as monkeys — show the potential to form living and fertile animals when transferred into surrogate animal wombs, thus suggesting that the same outcome would in theory be possible for human embryo models. That hasn't happened yet, but Chinese researchers in 2023 created embryo models from the stem cells of macaque monkeys that when implanted in a surrogate monkey triggered signs of early pregnancy. Proponents of the technology say the models offer an equally, and possibly more, useful, ethical alternative to research on scarce and precious human embryos. The models have the potential to be produced at scale in a lab to screen drugs for embryo toxicology, a impactful application given that pregnant women have often been excluded from drug trials because of safety concerns. Yet, the potential for these models to be used in the creation of life has been cause for worry among bioethicists. 'There are commercial and other groups raising the possibility of building an embryo in vitro and combining different bioengineering approaches to bring such an entity to viability,' according to the June paper coauthored by Clark and other members of the ISSCR's embryo model working group. 'Currently the practice of bringing an SCBEM (stem cell-based embryo model) to viability is considered unsafe and unethical and should not be pursued,' the study noted. Cave said ectogenesis may sound like the realm of science fiction, but it isn't impossible. As embryo models continue to be developed, and separate research is advancing into artificial wombs, the two technologies could meet, Cave said. The challenge, she added, is recognizing the value of these research paths but at the same time preventing misuse. Jun Wu, an associate professor at the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern is one of a number of stem cell biologists involved in the field. He agreed that ectogenesis should be off the table but explained that researchers developing embryo models must engage in a delicate dance: To the unlock the mysteries of the human embryo, models have to resemble embryos closely enough to offer real insight but they must not resemble them so closely that they risk being viewed as viable. Magdalena Zernicka-Geotz, the Bren professor of biology and biological engineering at Caltech, said she welcomed the new guidelines. She announced in 2023 that her team had succeeded in a world first: growing embryo-like models to a stage resembling 14-day-old embryos. Later the same year, Jacob Hanna, a professor of stem cell biology and embryology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, said his team had gone a step further with a model derived from skin cells that showed all the cell types that are essential for an embryo's development — including the precursor of the placenta. Together the work represented a breakthrough for the models' potential use in research on pregnancy loss: At 14 days the human embryo has begun to attach to the lining of the uterus, a process known as implantation. Many miscarriages occur around this stage, Zernicka-Geotz said. Lab research on human embryos beyond 14 days, including those donated from IVF treatments, is prohibited in most jurisdictions. And while some scientists do study tissue obtained from abortions, such tissue is limited because few procedures take place between week 2 and week 4 of an embryo's development. The ability to grow an embryo model outside of a womb at this developmental stage paves the way for studies that are not possible in living human embryos. 'Far more pregnancies fail than succeed during the critical window just before, during and immediately after implantation. This is why we created in my lab the embryo-like structures from stem cells as a way to really understand this critical and so highly fragile stage of development,' Zernicka-Goetz said. Clark agreed that embryo models could potentially be used to address infertility problems: 'Implantation. It's the big black box. Once the embryo implants in the uterus, we understand very little about the development,' Clark added. 'And if we can't study it, we don't know what we're missing.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists sound alarm over growing threat of drug-resistant respiratory infections: 'It's really hard to get rid of'
Scientists sound alarm over growing threat of drug-resistant respiratory infections: 'It's really hard to get rid of' As global temperatures rise, deadly fungal infections may also increase. What's happening? A report by TriplePundit highlighted the link between changing weather patterns and the spread of disease-causing fungi, such as coccidioides, which causes valley fever, and aspergillus, which harms the respiratory system. Valley fever is a lung infection most commonly found in warm, dry climates. It is caused by the spores of the coccidioides fungi, which "grow in dry soils and are kicked up with dust," according to TriplePundit. The publication noted that although most people fully recover from the flu-like symptoms, 5% to 10% of those infected develop serious long-term lung problems. Changing climates impact the speed at which these harmful fungi species can reproduce. Kathleen Treseder, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, told TriplePundit, "In the case of some fungal diseases like Valley Fever, the fungi do better at hotter, drier climate conditions." "As climate change is pushing ecosystems in that direction, the fungi do better," she added. Why are these fungal diseases concerning? Although valley fever is most commonly seen in the Southwest and more arid parts of the Pacific Northwest, the report stated that it "could move into the plains across states like Kansas and Nebraska, reaching as far north as the border with Canada." Rising temperatures and increasing droughts create the perfect breeding ground for this fungus. While the presence of more harmful fungi is an issue for everyone, it is especially bad news for people who haven't had previous exposure to the mold, making them less immune to fungal diseases. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Most people recover from valley fever, but it can cause disfigurement or death if it goes untreated. The treatment for this fungal infection can cost upward of $30,000, which is a huge amount of money for most families in America. Additionally, Treseder likened the treatment of valley fever to chemotherapy. "It's really hard to get rid of Valley Fever once you've got it, because fungi are actually pretty closely related to humans," she said. Damaging them inside the body harms our own cells. Plus, the disease can be extremely harmful or fatal for dogs. What's being done about fungal diseases? In areas at risk of these infectious fungi, scientists are asking the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make it mandatory to report disease cases. By examining climate forecasts, the CDC can alert medical professionals and hospitals in at-risk areas ahead of time. Although no vaccines currently exist to prevent these diseases, some are in development for humans and dogs. The discovery that changing climates can increase the risk of fungal diseases may lead to scientific breakthroughs, which will hopefully bring us one step closer to a cleaner, healthier future for all. If you live somewhere where valley fever occurs, the best way to prevent the spread of the disease is to avoid kicking up dust and releasing harmful spores. Dampening any soil before sporting events or gardening is an effective way to prevent the spread of disease. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
What to Know About the Tsunami Warnings
Authorities issued tsunami alerts and warnings for Hawaii, Alaska and parts of the U.S. West Coast after a massive earthquake struck off a peninsula in Russia's far east. Authorities cautioned people to avoid the coast and waterways. Here's what to know. Imagine propelling a chunk of the ocean upward. That pile of water will fall and make a giant wave. That's a tsunami. Earthquakes often cause tsunamis and the Russian quake was measured at magnitude 8.8. If confirmed, it would be one of the 10 biggest in recorded history, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Russian media reported injuries near the epicenter. In 2011, a 9.0-magnitude quake off Japan's coast triggered a 32-foot tsunami that killed thousands of people. How can something as far away as Russia threaten Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast? Tsunami waves travel thousands of miles at commercial-jet speeds, said Emily Brodsky, professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Though its force decreases en route, it surges as water piles up near shore, potentially forming a wall of water. Residents of Hawaii's Big Island recall the 1960 Hilo tsunami, which killed 61 people. It was triggered by a 9.5-magnitude quake in Chile, more than 6,000 miles away. What do the alerts mean and what should I do? The National Weather Service outlines three alerts: warning (red), advisory (orange) and watch (yellow). Hawaii and part of California's coast currently have a warning, urging people to move to higher ground. Waves could be 3- to 10-feet high in Hawaii, authorities said. Wave heights can vary just a few miles apart depending on the shoreline's shape, Brodsky said. Most of the West Coast has an advisory, warning people to stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways. What can we learn for the future? Predicting tsunami wave size is hard because few earthquakes have been big, Brodsky said. Scientists will scrutinize data to make better models. Brodsky is interested in whether this Russian earthquake was predictable. She said the 2011 Japanese earthquake and a 2014 Chilean temblor had foreshocks—smaller quakes preceding the big one. This Russian quake could be the third such example. Write to Stu Woo at
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
UCLA reaches $6 million settlement with Jewish students and professor over campus protests
Advt Advt The University of California, Los Angeles, reached a $6 million settlement with three Jewish students and a Jewish professor whose lawsuit against the university argued it violated their civil rights by allowing pro-Palestinian protesters in 2024 to block their access to classes and other areas on settlement comes nearly a year after a preliminary injunction was issued, marking the first time a U.S. judge had ruled against a university over their handling of on-campus demonstrations against Israel's war in initially had argued that it had no legal responsibility over the issue because protesters, not the university, blocked Jewish students' access to areas. The university also worked with law enforcement to thwart attempts to set up new protest U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi disagreed and ordered UCLA to create a plan to protect Jewish students on campus. The University of California, one of the nation's largest public university systems, has since created systemwide campus guidelines on the university handled dispersing the encampment in the spring drew widespread criticism. One night, counterprotesters attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones and firing pepper spray, with fighting that continued for hours, injuring more than a dozen people, before police stepped in. The next day, after hundreds defied orders to leave, more than 200 people were administration joins lawsuit filed by Jewish students In March, the Trump administration joined the lawsuit filed by the Jewish students and Jewish professor as it opened new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at Columbia University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; Northwestern University and Portland State week, Columbia agreed to pay $200 million as part of a settlement to resolve investigations into alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws and restore more than $400 million in research Trump administration plans to use its deal with Columbia as a template for other universities, with financial penalties that are now seen as an expectation for future finds UCLA violated civil rights of Jewish students On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the U.S. Department of Justice 's Civil Rights Division found UCLA violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, "by acting with deliberate indifference in creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students.""UCLA failed to take timely and appropriate action in response to credible claims of harm and hostility on its campus," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights university has said that it's committed to campus safety and will continue to implement recommendations."Today's settlement reflects a critically important goal that we share with the plaintiffs: to foster a safe, secure and inclusive environment for all members of our community and ensure that there is no room for antisemitism anywhere on campus," University of California Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly said in a agrees to granting students equal access As part of the settlement agreement, UCLA must ensure Jewish students, faculty and staff are not excluded from anything $6.13 million settlement will pay the plaintiffs' damages and legal fees. About $2.3 million will go to eight organizations that combat antisemitism, the university protesters also sue university A group of 35 pro-Palestinian students, faculty members, legal observers, journalists and activists also has filed a lawsuit against UCLA, alleging the university failed to protect those who participated in the demonstrations. Some Jewish students have also taken part in protests on campuses around the country against Israel's war in the 2014 protests at UCLA, at least 15 pro-Palestinian protesters were injured and the tepid response by authorities drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
When protest crosses the line: UCLA pays $6 million for failing to shield Jewish students
FILE -- Pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles, rally at a newly-formed "solidarity" tent camp on the school's campus, April 25, 2024. The University of California has agreed to settle a lawsuit contending that the university allowed pro-Palestinian protesters to block Jewish students from a section of the University of California, Los Angeles, campus during demonstrations last year. (Mark Abramson/The New York Times) What happens when a university stands back while protests turn into blockades? At the University of California, Los Angeles, that question is no longer hypothetical. Following one of the most closely watched legal battles in the country over student safety and freedom of access, UCLA has agreed to pay $6 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by three Jewish students and a Jewish professor. The case accused the university of failing to intervene when pro-Palestinian demonstrators in 2024 allegedly barred Jewish students from entering campus buildings during a wave of protests against Israel's military operations in Gaza. It is not only the payout that is making headlines, but the legal and moral implications for higher education nationwide. The turning point: A judge draws the line The breakthrough came in 2024 when US District Judge Mark Scarsi issued a preliminary injunction against UCLA, marking the first time a federal court ruled against a university over its handling of on-campus anti-Israel demonstrations. In his ruling, Judge Scarsi rejected UCLA's central defense, that the university could not be held responsible for the protesters' actions because it did not organize the blockades. Scarsi found that UCLA failed in its duty to protect the rights of its students, stating unequivocally that the university must 'develop and implement a plan' to ensure Jewish students are not prevented from accessing classes or facilities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Was Everyone's Dream Girl In 90's, This Is Her Now The Latest Article Undo The ruling signaled a clear departure from previous interpretations of institutional neutrality, sending a stern message: Inaction, especially when it leads to targeted exclusion, is a liability. What the lawsuit alleged The plaintiffs, who have not been named publicly, alleged that during the protests, demonstrators physically blocked entrances to classrooms, formed human chains around campus buildings, and targeted students based on their identity or perceived support for Israel. Some said they were verbally harassed and feared for their safety when attempting to attend lectures. While the university did call on law enforcement at various points and dismantled some of the protest encampments, the court found those efforts insufficient. 'This was never about limiting speech, it was about restoring a basic right to be present, to learn, and to feel safe,' one plaintiff told the court as reported by the Associated Press. 'We were shut out of our own university because we were Jewish. That is not freedom of expression. That is discrimination.' The price of delay Though UCLA has not admitted fault, its decision to settle comes after months of legal scrutiny and mounting pressure from civil rights groups. The $6 million settlement not only covers damages but signals the reputational toll the university has suffered as a result of its handling of the protests. In response to the case, the broader University of California system has introduced new protest guidelines applicable across its campuses. These measures are aimed at striking a balance between the right to protest and the duty to ensure safe and equal access to educational spaces. A cautionary tale for American universities Legal experts are calling the settlement a watershed moment. 'This case is a wake-up call,' said a civil liberties attorney closely following the case. 'Universities cannot simply shrug and cite free speech when student access and safety are at stake. The Constitution protects protest, yes, but not at the expense of another student's civil rights.' The ruling and its aftermath are expected to have national implications. As college campuses across the country become flashpoints for geopolitical debates, institutions must now reckon with the legal and ethical lines between demonstration and obstruction, protest and persecution. The bigger picture The UCLA case is not just about one protest, one campus, or one group of students. It's a test of whether American universities can uphold their commitment to both free expression and equal protection. And in this instance, the court made it clear: Silence is not neutrality, and inaction is not protection. In settling this case, UCLA may have closed one legal chapter, but it has opened a broader conversation. Where does protest end and accountability begin? For universities across the nation, that question is no longer theoretical. It's urgent. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
