Ectogenesis (Artificial Wombs)

Current preclinical models of human physiology, including animals and organoids, do not fully capture the complexity of human physiology, limiting the predicting power of preclinical experiments and explaining, in part, the costly failures of drug development in clinical trials. This is especially true for complex disorders including those of aging, neurological disorders, and female reproductive biology. More systematic and representative models—including ex vivo human organ systems or even whole bodies and novel animal species—are needed to improve the predictive power of biomedical research. These technologies also have applications in addressing organ shortages, improving neonatal care, and other unmet medical needs.