以色列科学家用干细胞合成人类胚胎模型

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以色列科学家用干细胞合成人类胚胎模型
Israeli scientists say they have created a model of a human embryo from stem cells in a laboratory.
以色列科学家表示，他们已经在实验室里用干细胞创造出了人类胚胎模型。
The embryo model – created without using sperm, eggs or a uterus – is designed to support research on early human development.
该胚胎模型是在不使用精子、卵子或子宫的情况下创造的，旨在支持对人类早期发育的研究。
Only stem cells were used in the process.
在这个过程中只使用了干细胞。
Stem cells are simple cells in the body that can develop into one of many specialized cells.
干细胞是体内的简单细胞，可以发育成许多特化细胞之一。
Researchers say the embryo models cannot grow into babies.
研究人员表示，该胚胎模型不能发育成婴儿。
But they are complete enough to provide information about what happens in the embryo during a pregnancy.
但它们已经足够完整，可以提供有关怀孕期间胚胎发育情况的信息。
The use of embryo models permits scientists to carry out research without the ethical concerns linked to experiments using real embryos.
胚胎模型的使用使科学家能够开展研究，而无需顾虑使用真胚胎进行实验所涉及的伦理问题。
Several international research teams have been working separately on studies involving human embryo models.
一些国际研究团队一直在分别开展涉及人类胚胎模型的研究。
Scientists from the United States, Britain and China published their research results on the subject in recent months.
最近几个月，来自美国、英国和中国的科学家发表了他们在这个主题上的研究成果。
The Israeli researchers say their embryo model looks similar to a real human embryo at day 14.
以色列研究人员表示，他们的胚胎模型在第14天看起来与真正的人类胚胎相似。
At this point, the embryo model has begun building inner structures.
在那时，胚胎模型已经开始构建内部结构。
But it has not yet developed enough to start forming body organs, the team said.
但该团队表示，它还没有发育到足以开始形成身体器官的程度。
The scientists recently reported their results in a study in the publication Nature.
科学家最近在《自然》杂志的一篇研究论文中报告了他们的研究结果。
They also shared their research with scientists during a June meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Boston, Massachusetts.
他们还在6月份在马萨诸塞州波士顿举行的国际干细胞研究学会会议上与科学家分享了他们的研究成果。
The Israeli team noted that their current research is still a long way from being able to create a full embryo in the lab.
以色列团队指出，他们目前的研究距离能够在实验室中创造出完整的胚胎还有很长的路要走。
Jacob Hanna was the team leader on the research.
雅各布·汉纳是这项研究的团队负责人。
He told the Reuters news agency, "The question is, when does an embryo model become considered an embryo? When that happens, we know the regulations. At the moment we are really, really far off from that point."
他对路透社说：“问题是，胚胎模型什么时候才能被认为是胚胎？当这种情况发生时，我们知道相关规定。目前我们离那一步还很远。”
But the researchers said the work could open the door to new ways to study early human development.
但研究人员表示，这项工作可能会为研究早期人类发育的新方法打开大门。
For example, the embryo models could test the effect of drugs on pregnancies.
例如，胚胎模型可以测试药物对怀孕的影响。
They could also help scientists better understand miscarriages and genetic diseases.
它们还可以帮助科学家更好地了解流产和遗传病。
And they might one day be used to grow transplant tissues and organs.
有朝一日，它们可能会被用来培养移植组织和器官。
Hanna noted that the models are not exactly like human embryos.
汉纳指出，这些模型并不完全像人类胚胎。
"There are differences from human embryos, but still, this is the first time, if you open an atlas or a textbook, you can say - yeah I can really see the similarity between them," he said.
他说：“虽然它们与人类胚胎不同，但这是第一次，如果你打开一本地图集或教科书，你可以说——是的，我真的能看到它们之间的相似之处”。
Hanna said his team took stem cells produced from adult human skin cells, as well as others, and let them develop in the lab.
汉纳说，他的团队从成人皮肤细胞和其他细胞中提取干细胞，并让它们在实验室中发育。
The researchers then reverted the cells to an early state, with the possibility that they could develop into different kinds of cells.
然后，研究人员将这些细胞恢复到早期状态，使它们有可能会发育成不同种类的细胞。
The team then genetically changed the cells in an effort to get them to start developing into something that looks and behaves like a real human embryo.
然后，该研究团队对这些细胞进行了基因改造，以使它们开始发育成形态像真正的人类胚胎的东西。
However, the researchers said their creation is not an actual or synthetic embryo.
然而，研究人员表示，他们创造的胚胎并不是真正的胚胎或人造胚胎。
Instead, it is considered a model that shows how a real embryo works.
相反，它被认为是一个展示真正胚胎如何工作的模型。
Hanna said the process was able to start effective structure development.
汉纳说，这一过程能够启动有效的结构开发。
But he added that "the farthest we could get is day 14 in human embryo development."
但他补充说，“我们最多只能做到人类胚胎发育的第14天。”
Hanna said the team's next goal will be to extend model development to 21 days and also reach a success rate of at least 50 percent.
汉纳表示，该团队的下一个目标是将胚胎模型发育时间延长至21天，并达到至少50%的成功率。
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