Stem cell embryo models could unlock infertility clues beyond 14-day research limit

MedicalXpress | Jun 12, 2026

An international team of experts in embryology and bioethics has published the first white paper on the use of embryonic models based on stem cells in the field of reproductive biology. The document, coordinated by UPF researcher Alfonso Martínez-Arias, offers an integrated view of developmental biology, bioethics and legislation, and proposes guidelines for the correct implementation of these models in research and in the regulation and development of technologies related to human reproduction. This text should facilitate the use of models to study embryo development beyond the 14-day legal barrier, hopefully leading to an understanding of some of the conditions that cause infertility.