Artificial womb

An artificial uterus, sometimes referred to as an "exowomb", would have to provide nutrients and oxygen to nurture a fetus, as well as dispose of waste material. The scope of an artificial uterus, or "artificial uterus system" to emphasize a broader scope, may also include the interface serving the function otherwise provided by the placenta, an amniotic tank functioning as the amniotic sac, as well as an umbilical cord. Nutrition, oxygen supply and waste disposal A woman may still supply nutrients and dispose of waste products if the artificial uterus is connected to her. However, the cerebral vasculature and germinal matrix are poorly developed in fetuses, and subsequently, there is an unacceptably high risk for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) if administering ECMO at a gestational age less than 32 weeks. Liquid ventilation has been suggested as an alternative method of oxygenation, or at least providing an intermediate stage between the womb and breathing in open air. • Issues related to hormonal stability also remain to be addressed. The tissue sample was then engineered to form the shape of a natural uterus, and human embryos were then implanted into the tissue. The embryos correctly implanted into the artificial uterus' lining and started to grow. However, the experiments were halted after six days to stay within the permitted legal limits of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) legislation in the United States. Umbilical cord Theoretically, in case of premature removal of the fetus from the natural uterus, the natural umbilical cord could be used, kept open either by medical inhibition of physiological occlusion, by anti-coagulation as well as by stenting or creating a bypass for sustaining blood flow between the mother and fetus. == Research and development ==

The use of artificial wombs was first termed ectogenesis by British-Indian pioneer JBS Haldane in 1923. Specifying related terminology, one paper determines:"A potential, though remotely possible, application of the technology is ‘complete ectogenesis’ – complete gestation outside the human body. This will greatly affect the substantiated human involvement during gestation, making it an extracorporeal event and thus completely transforming the conventional notion of pregnancy." Emanuel M. Greenberg (USA) Emanuel M. Greenberg wrote various papers on the topic of the artificial womb and its potential use in the future. On 22 July 1954 Emanuel M. Greenberg filed a patent on the design for an artificial womb. The patent included two images of the design for an artificial womb. The design itself included a tank to place the fetus filled with amniotic fluid, a machine connecting to the umbilical cord, blood pumps, an artificial kidney, and a water heater. He was granted the patent on 15 November 1955. The project was led by Yoshinori Kuwabara, who was interested in the development of immature newborns. The system was developed using fourteen goat fetuses that were then placed into artificial amniotic fluid under the same conditions of a mother goat. Kuwabara and his team succeeded in keeping the goat fetuses in the system for three weeks. The umbilical cord of the lambs are attached to a machine outside of the bag designed to act like a placenta and provide oxygen and nutrients and also remove any waste. An artificial womb is also necessary in reviving a species with no suitable living surrogate species such as Steller's sea cow or sabre-tooth cats Colossal in collaboration with the University of Melbourne have also developed artificial marsupial pouches as part of their de-extinction project of the thylacine. In January 2025, Colossal and University of Melbourne claimed to have developed a prototype artificial marsupial womb that has reached mid-gestation of single-celled marsupial embryos in order to further the de-extinction of the thylacine, eliminating the need for fat-tailed dunnart surrogates. In addition, these technologies could be used for increasing populations of endangered marsupials such as Tasmanian devils or koalas. Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) Since 2016, researchers of TU/e and partners aim to develop an artificial womb, which is an adequate substitute for the protective environment of the maternal womb in case of premature birth, preventing health complications. The artificial womb and placenta will provide a natural environment for the baby with the goal to ease the transition to newborn life. The perinatal life support (PLS) system will be developed using breakthrough technology: a manikin will mimic the infant during testing and training, advanced monitoring and computational modeling will provide clinical guidance. The consortium of 3 European universities working on the project consists out of Aachen, Milaan and Eindhoven. In 2019 this consortium was granted a subsidy of 3 million euros, and a second grant of 10 million is in progress. Together, the PLS partners provide joint medical, engineering, and mathematical expertise to develop and validate the Perinatal Life Support system using breakthrough simulation technologies. The interdisciplinary consortium will push the development of these technologies forward and combine them to establish the first ex vivo fetal maturation system for clinical use. This project, coordinated by the Eindhoven University of Technology brings together world-leading experts in obstetrics, neonatology, industrial design, mathematical modelling, ex vivo organ support, and non-invasive fetal monitoring. This consortium is led by professor Frans van de Vosse and Professor and doctor Guid Oei. in 2020 the spin off Juno Perinatal Healthcare has been set up by engineers Jasmijn Kok and Lyla Kok, assuring valorisation of the research done. More information about the spin off can be found here; More information about the project of the technical universities and its researchers can be found here: Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) (Spain), in 2020, BCNatal—led by Dr. Eduard Gratacós and supported by Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona — launched the first experimental Artificial Placenta project in Europe, funded by the “la Caixa” Foundation with an initial €3.35 million grant. In June 2023, the team revealed their prototype—the Fetal Liquid Incubator—capable of maintaining fetal lambs in an amniotic fluid environment with pumpless extracorporeal circulation. They achieved survival for 7 days in 110–115 days of gestation in fetal lambs, showing a successful learning curve in surgical cannulation and circuit management. Concurrently, a study focused on acute cardiovascular adaptation after connection to the system. Also in June 2023, BCNatal reported an extended survival milestone of 12 days in fetal lambs, demonstrating sustained organ health and non‑invasive monitoring. The project entered its second phase with an additional €4.3 million (€7.65 million total, 2023–2026), aiming to refine instrumentation and scale up survival to three to four weeks in preparation for clinical trials. The research team plans to begin human trials around 2027–2028, provided that all the necessary funding is secured. == Philosophical considerations ==

Bioethics The development of artificial uteri and ectogenesis raises bioethical and legal considerations, and also has important implications for reproductive rights and the abortion debate. Implementing artificial wombs would require advanced technology and significant costs, potentially limiting access for people in developing countries or with fewer resources. Artificial uteri may expand the range of fetal viability, raising questions about the role that fetal viability plays within abortion law. Within severance theory, for example, abortion rights only include the right to remove the fetus, and do not always extend to the termination of the fetus. If transferring the fetus from a woman's womb to an artificial uterus is possible, the choice to terminate a pregnancy in this way could provide an alternative to aborting the fetus. A 2007 essay theorizes that children who develop in an artificial uterus could potentially lack "some essential bond with their mothers that other children have". Gender equality In the 1970 book The Dialectic of Sex, feminist Shulamith Firestone wrote that differences in biological reproductive roles are a source of gender inequality. Firestone singled out pregnancy and childbirth, making the argument that an artificial womb would free "women from the tyranny of their reproductive biology." Arathi Prasad argues in her column in The Guardian in her article "How artificial wombs will change our ideas of gender, family and equality" that "[i]t will ... give men an essential tool to have a child entirely without a woman, should they choose. It will ask us to question concepts of gender and parenthood." She furthermore argues for the benefits for same-sex couples, saying: "It might also mean that the divide between mother and father can be dispensed with: a womb outside a woman’s body would serve women, trans women and male same-sex couples equally without prejudice." It could even be a solution for women with absolute uterine infertility. == See also ==