Constructed babies

Same-sex couples may soon be able to have a biological child. For example, two men could have a child that carries the DNA of both of them; no mother necessary except, of course, as a womb for rent.

Scientists at Cambridge University in England and the Weizmann Institute in Israel have used skin cells from five adults to artificially create germ cells, or stem cells, which can make human sperm and eggs. They believe they could use the technique to make a baby in as little as two years, Jacob Hanna, lead Israeli researcher, told the Daily Mail.

Researchers hope the technique could help men and women who have become infertile through disease. But “it has already caused interest from gay groups because of the possibility of making egg and sperm cells from parents of the same sex,” Hanna said.

This technique crosses the boundary between procreation and the construction of a child, said Paige Cunningham, executive director of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity. “Everything is about the parent, what they want, what they need, what they desire; it’s not about the good of the child.”

There are many safety issues involved, Cunningham added. Primordial germ cells may look like an egg and a sperm but they are not, and it is not clear if they will function like an egg and a sperm. The results are unpredictable and genetic manipulation is irreversible. “Children are a gift from God,” she said, “not a commodity to create for our own wishes.”

The process, Cunningham said, intentionally subjects children to risks of harm: “Parents are called to sacrifice for their children, children are not called to sacrifice for their parents. But it is still two years away, we still have time to say, ‘No.’”

Muscle in a dish

A team of researchers from Italy, Israel, and the United Kingdom has engineered mouse cells, cultured in a dish, to produce a mature, functional leg muscle. The cells were genetically engineered to stimulate blood vessel and nerve growth. Within weeks after the team implanted the graft into the mouse, mature muscle fibers formed a complete, functional muscle nearly indistinguishable from natural skeletal muscle.

Previous attempts to create functional muscle have been unsuccessful because the host does not create the necessary nerves and blood vessels to supply adequate oxygen for survival and growth.

The researchers admit that using the technique for humans will likely be much more complicated. “While we are encouraged by the success of our work in growing a complete intact and functional mouse leg muscle we emphasize that a mouse muscle is very small and scaling up the process for patients may require significant additional work,” said author Giulio Cossu.

Researchers will try the procedure with larger animals before moving into clinical trials with humans. —J.B.

Friendly skies?

For years experts have been concerned about the decreasing honey bee population, attributed to new pathogens, nutrition issues, and possible effects of pesticides. The pollinators are crucial to agriculture.

Keeping beehives on airport green space may be one small part of the solution. Airport beehives use field space that cannot legally be used for building and is not treated with pesticides. The trend began in Germany and spread to Sweden, Denmark, and Canada. In the United States, Chicago, Seattle, and St. Louis have all welcomed beehives, The New York Times reported. —J.B.