In recent years, Singapore has invested heavily in developing its biomedical industry. Of particular interest to policymakers are new assisted reproductive technology (ART) platforms and related areas of human developmental biology to overcome the country’s extremely low birth rates.
Scientists are interested in generating synthetic human embryos (also called human embryo models, embryo-like structures, or stem embryos) entirely from stem cells. This avoids the need for sperm or eggs. An Israeli research team at the Weizmann Institute of Science accomplished this feat in quick succession using mouse and human stem cells in 2022 and 2023.
These synthetic embryos are reported to display the basic structure of a brain, a beating heart, and every other organ in the body, in addition to a rudimentary placenta, yolk sac, and other external tissues. and these organizations have the potential to ensure continued growth and development in the future. Transfer to the uterus.
Coinciding with its debut, the non-reproductive biomedical applications of synthetic embryos were widely promoted. For example, synthetic human embryos can serve as experimental models to study human birth defects, provide a source of transplantable tissues and organs, and serve as a platform for screening and testing newly developed drugs. You can
This is incredibly controversial. To date, no living offspring have been born from synthetic embryos of animal or human origin, but given the rapid advances in science in recent years, it is very likely that this hurdle will be overcome soon. It is high.
Therefore, the potential use of synthetic embryos in human reproduction is sure to raise a higher degree of moral outrage and ethical controversy compared to non-reproductive biomedical applications. It is therefore essential to critically consider whether the reproductive use of synthetic human embryos is consistent with Singapore’s ethical values and the government’s policy stance as follows:
Other roads
At present, the alternatives to overcome age-related female infertility are egg freezing and ovarian tissue freezing (which also has the benefit of relieving menopausal symptoms).
Then there is in vitro gametogenesis (IVG). This refers to the production of artificially grown sperm and eggs in a laboratory from other types of cells in the body, such as skin cells. Using advanced molecular biology techniques, skin cells can be reprogrammed into an embryonic stem cell-like state and coaxed into functioning sperm or eggs by various chemicals and growth factors in a laboratory dish. .
Several research groups in Japan and China have already demonstrated that IVG-generated sperm and eggs derived from mouse and rat skin cells produce live, healthy offspring that reproduce successfully. and potentially produce the next generation of healthy offspring. It is very likely that these will soon be replicated in humans in the near future.
However, these new technologies will almost certainly conflict with traditional family formation based on genetic affinity and blood ties.
The government’s enthusiastic sponsorship of ART to boost the country’s dismal birth rate is based on promoting traditional family formation through heterosexual marriage. This emphasizes genetic affinity and blood ties, in line with the largely Confucian ethos of Singaporean society. In fact, genetic affinity and kinship are used as the basis for some family court decisions in Singapore. The Singaporean case law states that an individual’s desire to have a child with his or her genes is a basic human drive, and that in “ordinary human experience” parents and children are related by blood and have physical characteristics. He emphasizes that they share the same.
This may be hindered by the use of synthetic human embryos in reproduction. Similar to human cloning, the virtual offspring created from a synthetic embryo will be a genetically identical duplicate of only one of the parents who provided the stem cells for its formation, whereas in traditional heterosexual marriage the other It has nothing to do with his parents. Under Singapore law, only legally married heterosexual couples are allowed to use ART.
It must be noted that in the case of infertility treatment, it is not recommended to mix and combine male and female stem cells from men and women to create sex-mismatched “chimera” synthetic embryos containing cells of the two sexes. not. Hermaphrodite of the resulting offspring.
Some religious groups in Singapore, particularly Christians and Muslims, are likely to consider the use of synthetic embryos in human reproduction to be a violation of the sanctity of marriage, as is the case with human cloning. This is because this technique avoids sexual activity. Family and kinship relationships are destroyed, as offspring are genetically identical copies of only one partner.
further controversy
in the case of deceased parents or spouse, the use of synthetic human embryos could offer the possibility of recreating a genetically identical copy of a deceased loved one, similar to human cloning. Needless to say, this would be very controversial, especially if there was no informed consent from the deceased. Additionally, there are ethical concerns regarding the rights, welfare, and psychological impact on children after death.
Same-sex and transgender couples There is an option to mix and combine stem cells from both partners to produce a “chimeric” synthetic human embryo. If both partners are of the same genetic sex (XX or XY), the risk of hermaphrodite is minimal. Nevertheless, chimeric human and animal embryos and offspring exist in nature and often exhibit an increased risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, given the increased health risks faced by such chimeric individuals, it is ethically and morally unacceptable to intentionally create chimeric synthetic human embryos solely to satisfy the reproductive needs of same-sex and transgender couples. It becomes a problem.
This is because the use of synthetic embryos in human reproduction provides the opportunity to create genetically identical individuals. Single parenthood by deliberate choice. There is no genetic contribution from a second party compared to the use of donor sperm or eggs. This would violate the Singapore government’s official policy of promoting traditional family formation through traditional heterosexual marriage.
Creation of artificial human embryos some selfish, wealthy, and powerful individuals The intention to perpetuate genetically identical copies will certainly cause much controversy. Equally controversial is the fact that, in order to “benefit” all humanity, some organizations, with or without their consent, have created genetically identical copies of highly talented individuals (i.e. Nobel Prize-winning scientists). This would be an erroneous attempt to create a copy of .
Technical bottlenecks in controversial issues human enhancement Human germline genome editing means that the number of embryos available is limited. With a large number of embryos available for screening, millions of human stem cells can be screened before being used to create synthetic embryos, making germline genome editing safer and more accurate. But does Singaporean society really want to commodify socially desirable traits such as high IQ, athleticism, and beauty?
conclusion
In an era of declining birth rates, Singapore (and other countries) are tempted to experiment with radical new ART technologies to increase the number of babies. But the technical hurdles are formidable and the moral objections likely insurmountable. Singapore should ban the reproductive use of synthetic human embryos as it is inconsistent with socio-cultural values and relevant government policy objectives.
Dr. Alexis Heng Boon Chin has previously worked in the field of human clinical assisted reproductive technology research in Singapore and has published over 250 scientific journal articles as well as international journals on ethical and legal issues related to new reproductive technologies. I have written 50 publications. .