Louise was conceived in a laboratory, but this required the sex cells of her parents: a sperm from the father and an egg from the mother. Now, almost forty years later, the day is closer when it is not necessary to have this type of cells to carry out in vitro fertilization.
Recent research with mice has shown that gametes , that is, sperm or eggs , can be obtained from other types of cells in the body itself, such as skin cells. The process consists of turning these cells into stem cells. In other words, reverting them to a state in which, as if they were embryonic stem cells, they can become any type of cell, for example, gametes. These gametes can then be used for in vitro fertilization .
The technique is called in vitro gametogenesis , and although it has only been used in mice yet, it is hoped that the day will come when it will be possible to use it in humans. This possibility opens up a series of ethical questions that have led to the publication of an article in the journal Science Translational Medicine that warns about them.
The text, signed by three researchers from Harvard and Brown Universities, points out, for example, that in vitro gametogenesis would greatly facilitate the production of embryos and a massive production of them would be possible, and they even speak of “embryo farms”.
Currently there is already a problem with embryos left over from IVF . Parents can choose to save them for future use, donate them to other couples, donate them for research (although, due to ethical and legal impediments, there are usually no projects that require them) or destroy them. However, the reality is that in many cases assisted reproduction centers find a multitude of stored embryos with which they do not know what to do, and in vitro gametogenesis would increase this problem.
The article also warns of the possibility that the use of this technique could lead to the creation of “made to measure” human beings, with the ethical implications that this would have.
In addition, the authors warn of the risk that biological material as easily obtained as hair or skin could be used without authorization to generate human embryos.
However, the article also highlights the obvious advantages that the new technique would have. Among others, that it would be a solution for serious infertility problems, it would facilitate the elimination of genetic defects in the gametes and would avoid the problems currently generated by ovarian hyperstimulation that women must undergo to have their eggs extracted.
In vitro gametogenesis for humans is likely to be a reality for some time, but while that time comes, all these questions should be asked. A multitude of ethical and legal dilemmas also arose with the birth of Louise Brown that, to a greater or lesser extent, have been resolved, and that can serve as learning when facing new advances like this.
