Technology could revolutionize the way we have children and put an end to reproductive sex.
Reproduction has always been done through sexual relations, but in recent decades reproductive medicine has begun to change this reality.
First came artificial insemination, and then in vitro fertilization. Now, a new generation of technologies could even more radically change the way babies are born. Sex, as a means of reproduction, may no longer be central, due to the lack of dependence on it to generate children.
At the heart of this transformation is the advancement of stem cell technologies. One of the most revolutionary possibilities is the so-called , or IVG, points out . It involves taking skin cells, reprogramming them to an embryonic-like state, and then turning them into eggs or sperm.
If this technique becomes viable in humans, it could allow infertile people to have children who are genetically their own and open up scenarios that today seem like something out of a science fiction film.
If it is possible to create eggs from skin cells, even a very old person could, in theory, become a genetic progenitor.
Ethically sensitive hypotheses are also raised, such as the use of preserved cells from dead people.
Furthermore: science could eventually allow the production of sperm from female cells or eggs from male cells.
In 2023, Japanese scientists announced that they had created eggs from the skin cells of a male mouse, then managed to generate viable offspring using normal sperm. From here, even more radical possibilities emerge.
One of these bolder hypotheses is the creation of embryos from gametes produced from the same person. It would not be a clone, but a child who is genetically closer to the parent than a brother or sister. They call it the “unibaby“.
Another hypothesis is the so-called parenting multiplexin which the genetic material from four or more people could be combinedin successive stages, to give rise to an embryo. The result would be a child with a genetic contribution shared between several parents.
Another technological front with the potential to radically change human reproduction is genetic editing of embryos. Since the tool’s creation in 2012, it has become possible to alter specific DNA sequences with unprecedented precision. In theory, this technology could be used to prevent serious inherited diseases. But it also opens the door to much more controversial interventions.
The best-known case occurred in 2018, when Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced the birth of two babies whose embryos had been genetically edited. The experiment was conducted in secret and He ended up in prison.
The main concern is that changes made to a very early embryo not only affect the future child, but also their descendants. This means that a genetic modification can be inherited indefinitely. For many experts, the most justifiable use of this technique would be disease prevention. The most feared scenario, although considered implausible for now, is the creation of “super babies”genetically improved in physical or intellectual capabilities.
In this discussion, there are those who argue that the human genetic heritage should not be altered in a heritable way. Others accept the possibility, but only when the technique is proven to be safe and effective.
Also the artificial wombs enter this equation. The idea was popularized decades ago in literature, but recent advances have made it less fanciful. In 2017, researchers managed to keep prematurely born lambs alive in plastic bags filled with fluid, a kind of advanced incubators.
For now, these systems work to support extremely premature babies, and may perhaps slightly lower the threshold of fetal viability. They do not replace a full pregnancy. But the most transformative hypothesis would be the creation of a true artificial uterus capable of receiving an embryo that is just a few days old and supporting it until birth.
If this happens, not only will the end of reproductive sex be at stake, but also the possibility of dismiss pregnancy.
From a technical point of view, this reality is still far away. But some researchers admit that, if in the future it is possible to create complex human organs from stem cells, a functional uterus could also be designed. Connected to a machine capable of supplying oxygen, nutrients, hormones and removing waste, this uterus could play the role currently reserved for a woman’s body.
Faced with this horizon, the central question is no longer just what will be possible, but what should be allowed. New reproductive technologies can bring real benefits, especially for infertile people, same-sex couples or in preventing serious diseases.
