Japan gov't panel approves human embryo creation using iPS cells
According to a report compiled by the expert panel on bioethics, the culture period of such embryos would be limited to a maximum of 14 days, as with conventional fertilized egg research, and implantation into a human or animal uterus would be prohibited.
The report will lay the groundwork for the government to consider revising relevant guidelines. The latest move raises ethical challenges as the implantation of an embryo into a uterus could potentially lead to the birth of a human being.
It is hoped studies will confirm whether human eggs and sperm derived from induced pluripotent stem cells or embryonic stem cells function normally. Both iPS cells and ES cells can grow into any type of cell in the body, but the former are generated using cells from an adult body such as skin, while the latter are taken from early-stage embryos.
While there have so far been no cases of eggs or sperm being created from human stem cells, research has advanced to the stage of producing precursor cells.
Offspring have already been born from such eggs and sperm in mice, and the expert panel has anticipated that similar advancements will soon become "technologically feasible" in humans.
The report said fertilized eggs created from stem cell-derived sperm or eggs should be handled in the same way as conventional fertilized eggs as they could "potentially lead to the birth of a human" if implanted.
It called for limiting the creation of such embryos to the minimum necessary number.
The activities will also be allowed for studies to compare the differences with ordinary fertilized eggs.
© KYODO
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
10 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Soldiers And Mental Trauma: Suffering Long Overlooked after Return from Battle
War continues to inflict tangible and intangible damage on individuals and society long after it has ended. The mental trauma of soldiers of the former Japanese military, which has often been overlooked, must be addressed. During World War II, the Japanese military launched aggression against China and Southeast Asia. Many soldiers suffered deep mental scars from their harsh experiences on the battlefield, leading to neuroses and mental illnesses. At the time, the military denied the existence of such soldiers, and the truth remained hidden for many years after the war. In reality, many veterans who returned from the battlefield were unable to build normal relationships with the people around them, as such veterans were prone to become violent toward their family or withdrawn. Eighty years have almost passed since the end of the war, and many veterans have passed away. However, in recent years, the generation who are children of these veterans have begun to speak out about their fathers' abnormal behavior after returning from the war and the suffering of their families. In light of such developments, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry carried out its first survey on the psychological trauma of former Japanese soldiers last fiscal year, based on medical records and memoirs left behind by military doctors. The results of the survey are now available at the Shokei-kan, a national facility in Tokyo to convey information about the illnesses and injuries of World War II servicemen. It is estimated that 7.85 million soldiers became ill during the last four years of the war, and about 8%, or 670,000 of them, suffered 'mental illness or other neuroses.' It is significant that the government has recognized their suffering and officially acknowledged it as a serious problem. However, the survey was limited mainly to data on soldiers who received treatment at such facilities as army hospitals during the war. It is difficult to say that the full extent of the damage that soldiers continued to suffer after returning from the war has been revealed. Those who returned from the battlefield and struggled to reintegrate into society were called 'demented from war,' among other labels. They were often denied proper treatment, facing social stigma. It is hoped that the latest survey will serve as a first step toward elucidating the behavioral and psychological factors affecting such veterans. Research by historians, psychiatrists and other experts is also progressing. Use of their findings as a starting point to delve into the underlying causes of the issue can contribute to restoring the honor of those who suffered psychological trauma. Many experts argue that a significant number of veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition causes psychological trauma due to extreme fear or shock, resulting in symptoms such as sudden flashbacks of painful memories that interfere with daily life. In the United States, many Vietnam War veterans fell into such a state, and the American Psychiatric Association recognized PTSD among Vietnam War veterans in the 1980s. The damage caused by war cannot be fully shown by such externally confirmable data such as the number of casualties or the destruction of buildings. It is essential to pass on this fact as a solemn lesson to future generations. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 3, 2025)
Yomiuri Shimbun
15 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Spacex Delivers Four Astronauts to the International Space Station Just 15 Hours after Launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX delivered a fresh crew to the International Space Station on Saturday, making the trip in a quick 15 hours. The four U.S., Russian and Japanese astronauts pulled up in their SpaceX capsule after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. They will spend at least six months at the orbiting lab, swapping places with colleagues up there since March. SpaceX will bring those four back as early as Wednesday. Moving in are NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov — each of whom had been originally assigned to other missions. 'Hello, space station!' Fincke radioed as soon as the capsule docked high above the South Pacific. Cardman and another astronaut were pulled from a SpaceX flight last year to make room for NASA's two stuck astronauts, Boeing Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose space station stay went from one week to more than nine months. Fincke and Yui had been training for the next Starliner mission. But with Starliner grounded by thruster and other problems until 2026, the two switched to SpaceX. Platonov was bumped from the Soyuz launch lineup a couple of years ago because of an undisclosed illness. Their arrival temporarily puts the space station population at 11. 'It was such an unbelievably beautiful sight to see the space station come into our view for the first time,' Cardman said once on board. While their taxi flight was speedy by U.S. standards, the Russians hold the record for the fastest trip to the space station — a lightning-fast three hours.
a day ago
Japanese Astronaut Yui Arrives at ISS, Joins Onishi
Tokyo, Aug. 2 (Jiji Press)--Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, 55, arrived at the International Space Station on a U.S. Crew Dragon spacecraft Saturday to join Takuya Onishi, also from Japan, who has been aboard the ISS since March. The 11th Crew Dragon spacecraft of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, carrying Yui and three foreign colleagues, was launched by a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday local time. The Crew-11 spacecraft was separated from the rocket 10 minutes after the launch and docked with the ISS in the small hours of Saturday. The launch was postponed for one day due to bad weather. Onishi, 49, now in command of the ISS, greeted Yui with a high five after the connecting hatch opened about 80 minutes after the docking. They hugged and celebrated their reunion. At a ceremony held afterward, Onishi welcomed the four astronauts. Yui expressed his gratitude in English. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
