An artificial mouse embryo has been created from stem cells for the first time - a breakthrough that could shed light on why two-thirds of pregnancies fail in the early stages of embryo development.

University of Cambridge scientists used two types of stem cells, embyonic (ESCs) and trophoblast (TSCs), along with a 3D scaffold, and were able to grow a structure capable of assembling itself.

Its development and architecture closely resembled a natural embryo.

Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, who led the research, said: "Both the embryonic and extra-embryonic cells start to talk to each other and become organised into a structure that looks like and behaves like an embryo."

Previous attempts to create an embryo using only ESCs were unsuccessful.


Crucially, it could pave the way for similar work with human cells.

Human embryo research is often held back by a shortage of embryos and experimentation is highly regulated and banned after 14 days.

"We are very optimistic that this will allow us to study key events of this critical stage of human development without actually having to work on embryos.

"Knowing how development normally occurs will allow us to understand why it so often goes wrong."

However, some have voiced concerns that such research might one day help facilitate the creation of designer babies.

Dr David King, director of Human Genetics Alert, told the Daily Telegraph: "What concerns me about the possibility of artificial embryos is that this may become a route to creating GM or even cloned babies.

"Until there is an enforceable global ban on those possibilities this kind of research risks doing the scientific groundwork for entrepreneurs who will use the technologies in countries with no regulations."

The University of Cambridge research is published in the journal Science.