Spain Experts are working to develop an artificial womb for premature babies after successful animal testing.
Spanish researchers develop artificial womb. Video: Reuters
In testing, the prototype artificial placenta recreated the protective environment with a transparent container made of biocompatible materials, Reuters reported on June 30. Inside it, the fetus' lungs, intestines and brain could continue to develop. The container was connected to an amniotic fluid circulation system to keep the fetus isolated from external stimuli but still accessible for ultrasound monitoring and control.
Babies born after just six months in the womb or less are considered extremely premature, with a high risk of death or disability. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 900,000 such babies died worldwide in 2019.
"We are trying to develop a system that allows the fetus to be kept outside the mother's body but still in fetal conditions such as continuing to breathe through the umbilical cord, eating through the umbilical cord, surrounded by a liquid at a constant temperature," said project leader Eduard Gratacos, who leads a team of 35 people from the BCNatal medical research center and Fundacion La Caixa.
The team has conducted preclinical studies on lambs and kept fetuses alive for 12 days. They also plan to test the technology in pigs before proposing human trials in the next few years.
“The project is very complex, involving many different medical disciplines and requiring engineers from many fields. It is a huge challenge, it would be extremely complicated to trick nature and make this possible,” said Gratacos.
Kelly Werner, an associate professor of pediatrics at Columbia University, said the Spanish team's promising results need to be rigorously tested in human clinical trials to assess safety and side effects. "This is an exciting development, but artificial placentas are not intended to replace natural placentas. Despite advances like this, we should still do our best to support maternal health and reduce risk factors for preterm birth," Werner said.
Thu Thao (According to Reuters )
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