Universitätsklinikum, Institut für Anatomie, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147 Essen, Germany.
Cells. 2021 Jun 10;10(6):1461. doi: 10.3390/cells10061461.
The experimental production of complex structures resembling mammalian embryos (e.g., blastoids, gastruloids) from pluripotent stem cells in vitro has become a booming research field. Since some of these embryoid models appear to reach a degree of complexity that may come close to viability, a broad discussion has set in with the aim to arrive at a consensus on the ethical implications with regard to acceptability of the use of this technology with human cells. The present text focuses on aspects of the gain of organismic wholeness of such stem cell-derived constructs, and of autonomy of self-organization, raised by recent reports on blastocyst-like cysts spontaneously budding in mouse stem cell cultures, and by previous reports on likewise spontaneous formation of gastrulating embryonic disc-like structures in primate models. Mechanisms of pattern (axis) formation in early embryogenesis are discussed in the context of self-organization of stem cell clusters. It is concluded that ethical aspects of development of organismic wholeness in the formation of embryoids need to receive more attention in the present discussions about new legal regulations in this field.
体外多能干细胞实验性产生类似于哺乳动物胚胎的复杂结构（例如，原肠胚，囊胚样结构）已成为一个蓬勃发展的研究领域。由于这些类胚胎模型中的一些似乎达到了接近生存能力的复杂程度，因此人们广泛讨论了使用人类细胞的这种技术的可接受性的伦理含义，以期达成共识。本文重点关注最近关于在小鼠干细胞培养中自发出现的类囊胚样囊肿，以及之前关于在灵长类模型中自发形成原肠胚样盘状结构的报道中提出的此类干细胞衍生构建体的整体性获得和自组织自主性的方面。在干细胞簇自组织的背景下讨论了早期胚胎发生中模式（轴）形成的机制。结论是，在目前关于该领域新法规的讨论中，需要更加关注胚胎形成中整体性获得的伦理方面。
