VOA健康报道2023 以色列科学家用干细胞合成人类胚胎模型

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 embryo¹ 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 sperm², 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 specialized³ 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 pregnancy⁴.

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 ethical⁵ concerns linked to experiments using real embryos⁶.

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 noted⁷ 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 pregnancies⁸.

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 miscarriages⁹ and genetic¹⁰ 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 atlas¹¹ 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 reverted¹² 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 genetically¹³ 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 synthetic¹⁴ 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。

1 embryo   

n.胚胎，萌芽的事物

参考例句：

• They are engaging in an embryo research.他们正在进行一项胚胎研究。
• The project was barely in embryo.该计划只是个雏形。

2 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

3 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

4 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

5 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

9 miscarriages   

流产( miscarriage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Miscarriages are usually caused by abnormal chromosome patterns in the fetus. 流产通常是因为胎儿的染色体异常造成的。
• Criminals go unpunishedareconvicted and are miscarriages of justice. 罪犯会逍遥法外，法律会伤及无辜，审判不公时有发生。

10 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

11 atlas   

n.地图册，图表集

参考例句：

• He reached down the atlas from the top shelf.他从书架顶层取下地图集。
• The atlas contains forty maps,including three of Great Britain.这本地图集有40幅地图，其中包括3幅英国地图。

12 reverted   

恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还

参考例句：

• After the settlers left, the area reverted to desert. 早期移民离开之后，这个地区又变成了一片沙漠。
• After his death the house reverted to its original owner. 他死后房子归还给了原先的主人。

13 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

14 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。