Human Embryos News and Research

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Paternal sperm epigenetics may help explain early pregnancy loss

When a pregnancy ends early and unexplained, the search for answers usually begins with the mother. Lacey Luense, Ph.D., wants to know what the father's sperm might have to do with it.

28 Aug 2026

Common e-cigarette flavorant may disrupt normal embryo development

Vanillin, a common flavoring chemical in e-cigarettes, may disrupt the normal development of embryos in pregnant women who vape, according to a study published today (Thursday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

13 Aug 2026

European survey reveals strong public support for fertility treatment

A new Europe-wide survey launched during the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) suggests broad public support for fertility treatment and several areas of reproductive research, while highlighting key areas where public understanding and opinion continue to develop.

5 Jul 2026

Japan aligns human embryo model research with updated ethical oversight

Human embryo models can help researchers study early human development and infertility without relying solely on human embryos.

2 Jul 2026

Base editing technique reveals crucial gene for early human development

Research led by the University of Cambridge Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research has shown that a genome editing technique can be used to alter a single gene in human embryonic cells, enabling the study of very early human development in unparalleled detail.

25 Jun 2026

ISSCR urges NIH to continue support human embryonic stem cell research

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has submitted a formal response to a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding its pause on new submissions to the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) Registry and considerations to reduce reliance on hESCs in federally supported research.

25 Apr 2026

Stem cell model recreates early human embryo with yolk sac

For the first time, a stem cell model has produced a structure resembling an early human embryo with a yolk-sac-like structure, from a single starting stem cell population and without direct genetic manipulation.

21 Apr 2026

Engineered womb lining model opens a window into embryo implantation

By engineering a system replicating the womb lining with high biological accuracy, researchers at the Babraham Institute and Stanford University have been able to study the implantation of human embryos, opening up this enigmatic process to investigation.

23 Dec 2025

Study uncovers role of mechanical forces in human gastrulation

Only two weeks after fertilization, the first sign of the formation of the 3 axes of the human body (head/tail, ventral/dorsal, and right/left) begins to appear.

22 Nov 2025

Study: Common test to assess viability of IVF embryos may be flawed

A test deployed in many fertility clinics to assess the viability of embryos for use in IVF is likely to overestimate the number of embryos with abnormalities, suggests a study published today.

23 Oct 2025

Researchers achieve proof of concept for generating eggs from somatic cells

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have accomplished a unique proof of concept to treat infertility by turning skin cells into eggs capable of producing early human embryos.

17 Oct 2025

Lab-grown embryo models mimic natural formation of blood and heart cells

University of Cambridge scientists have used human stem cells to create three-dimensional embryo-like structures that replicate certain aspects of very early human development - including the production of blood stem cells.

13 Oct 2025

Using light to control tissue folding in developing embryos

The complex 3D shapes of brains, lungs, eyes, hands, and other vital bodily structures emerge from the way in which flat 2D sheets of cells fold during embryonic development.

21 Aug 2025

Researchers capture first 3D real-time images of human embryo implantation

Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in collaboration with the Dexeus University Hospital have captured unparalleled images of a human embryo implanting.

18 Aug 2025

Maternal iron deficiency disrupts embryonic sex determination in mice

Developmentally expressed genes play a fundamental role in the formation of a wide range of organs. The Y chromosome-located mammalian sex-determining gene Sry, required for the formation of testis, is activated only within a narrow time window during embryogenesis.

11 Jun 2025

New stem cell model replicates human amniotic sac development

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have developed a new stem cell model of the mature human amniotic sac, which replicates development of the tissues supporting the embryo from two to four weeks after fertilization.

15 May 2025

Zinc found in glassware may impair embryo development in IVF

The research team discovered that glassware used to manipulate and culture fertilized eggs in the fields of assisted reproductive technology (ART), livestock farming, and basic research contains toxic substances that interfere with the development of fertilized eggs (embryos).

18 Apr 2025