Beyond science fiction: artificial wombs and real progress of fertility treatments , Pg2

Key Highlights:

• Reports of a Chinese firm creating a pregnancy robot with an artificial womb were confirmed as fake news.
• Research into artificial wombs has been ongoing for years, with experiments involving endometrial tissue and animal foetuses.
• The first baby born from a womb transplant was in Sweden in 2014, and since then, approximately 65 babies have been born as a result of such transplants worldwide.
• Artificial wombs are currently used to nurture preterm babies, utilizing bio bags and artificial placentas.

Detailed Insights:

• Over a decade ago, research involved engineering endometrial tissue and successfully implanting mouse embryos in an artificial uterus.
• Experiments have been conducted globally, including growing goat foetuses in prototype wombs in Japan and testing artificial wombs for sharks in New South Wales.
• Womb replacement surgery became a reality by 2014, with transplants performed in Sweden and the U.K., some using wombs donated by mothers.
• Uterine transplants have been carried out in over a dozen countries, including the United States, China, France, Germany, India, and Turkiye.
• Current artificial wombs for preterm babies use bio bags filled with fluid mimicking amniotic fluid, with an artificial placenta providing oxygen and nutrients.
• Research is ongoing to produce eggs and sperm from stem cells, potentially revolutionizing fertility treatments.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Endometrial Tissue: The lining of the uterus, essential for embryo implantation and pregnancy.
• Artificial Placenta: A device that provides oxygen and nutrients to a foetus outside the natural womb.
• Stem Cells: Cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body.