In a recent article in journal, Science, the team cautioned against any use of the technique to grow animals artificially, but that the science did not rule this out completely.
The creation of the artificial embryo was done by combining two different types of stem cells. The combination created what appeared to be a structure which, according to Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, "looks like and behaves like an embryo." This discovery by Cambridge University offers hopes of shedding much needed light into early pregnancy and embryo failure, as well as a never before seen insight into how the building blocks of life come together to build future generations.
The use of artificial embryos in science is also seen as an exciting option to those undertaking early stage human development research, which is often hampered by the lack of available embryos (as well as the ethical arguments that follow).