The development of the world’s first synthetic embryos poses important questions for Christians, an evangelical scientist says.
Professor John Bryant was speaking to en after it was announced that Israeli scientists found that stem cells from mice could be made to self-assemble into early ‘embryo-like structures’ with an intestinal tract, the beginnings of a brain, and a beating heart.
They are called synthetic embryos as they are made without fertilised eggs. And as yet they do not have the potential to develop into living animals.
Bryant, who is Professor Emeritus of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Exeter, and a former Chair of Christians in Science, told en: ‘At this stage, I cannot see any difficult ethical issues with this work with mouse cells, but the authors now wish to try to create human synthetic embryos with the long-term aim of growing tissues and organs for transplants. This is still a very long way away, which gives us a chance to look at ethical issues.
‘The key issue is whether we should regard synthetic embryos as being ethically equivalent to natural embryos. In my Test of Faith video [available at testoffaith.com] I suggested that if a person was ever produced by cloning they would be no less of a person than one produced by normal fertilisation. If we transfer that thinking to synthetic embryos, then they should have the same ethical status as natural embryos and this is where there is certainly disagreement between Christians.
‘Some hold that the very earliest embryo, just one cell, after fertilisation is complete, should be regarded as a human person with all the ethical ‘protection’ implied by that. This would prevent this research from being done. Others hold that the early embryo is not yet a person but has the potential to become one if implantation (into the wall of the uterus) and thus pregnancy ensue. However, even amongst Christians holding this view there may be some hesitation in supporting this research because, if successful, it means creating human embryos as commodities.
‘The final thing to say is that any attempt to start a human pregnancy with synthetic embryos would in this country be against the law, a position with which I – and I suspect all Christians who have considered the issue – agree entirely.’
