Reply #14: No - I'm referencing a fetal transplant of ANY type!

[Eileen]

Even a xenotransplant into a pig or near hominid uterus would require the graft of the full gestational materials and a part of the "donor" uterus, and almost instantaneous blood supply on molecular basis, in order for the transplant to have any chance to succeed.

The Cornell experiment you reference simply was a variation on the current IVF practices where the pre-embryo is allowed to multiply for a longer time before insertion into the host so that the probability of successful IVF is increased and the number of pre-embryos (leading to multiple births if they all implant) can be reduced. The pre-embryo has not yet formed differential groups of cells which will become the placenta and the embryo and this is the stage used in IVF - although those who claim there is a baby in the zygote are loath to use the term "pre-embryo".

The "artificial uterus" you reference is not actually an artificial uterus but simply an artificially prepared endometrial lining which allowed implantation. There are 40 weeks and a full organism (a woman usually) required to maintain homeostasis, immunity, detoxifying, and nutrition etc over that period of time. If that uterus is not attached to that woman (or her living biological replacement) I certainly cannot see how a pregnancy could be carried to term.

The artificial uterus is a dream of anti-choice zealots - but is about as likely to happen as a man carrying a pregnancy to term and living to tell about it.

(BTW uteruses is the proper plural - in Latin it belongs to the same declension of nouns as octopus).


Eileen