Updated 3/17/2021 12:03 PM
WASHINGTON -- For the first time, scientists have used human cells to make structures that mimic the earliest stages of development, which they say will pave the way for more research without running afoul of restrictions on using real embryos.
Two papers published Wednesday in the journal Nature detail how two teams of scientists independently made such structures.
They stressed that their work is only for research, not reproduction, but it likely will pose new ethical questions.
'Studying early human development is really difficult. It's basically a black box,' said Jun Wu, a stem cell biologist at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center.