In December 2023, methods for modelling development – including stem-cell-based embryo models (SCBEMs) – were named Method of the Year by Nature Methods (see BioNews 1219).
Now, an editorial has been written in Nature Methods looking at what has happened in the field of embryo models since.
The Code of Practice for the generation and use of human SCBEMs, published jointly by PET and Cambridge Reproduction (see BioNews 1234, 1246, 1247 and 1258), is discussed in the editorial.
'In 2024, the United Kingdom released its first regulations guiding lab research related to stem cell-based embryo models. This is a code of practice that serves to ensure rigorous ethical considerations while designing experiments. For example, transferring a human embryo model into a human or non-human uterus is prohibited. While there is no strict limit on how long an embryo model can be kept in culture, the regulations establish that the researchers must justify the endpoint of the models, and the mandatory oversight committee will set limits on a case-by-case basis.'