Scientists have succeeded in creating baby mice from two males for the first time.
The chances of using such a technique in humans are slim, experts warn that mouse embryos rarely develop into mouse pups, and no one knows if it will work in humans.
“It’s a very clever strategy,” says Diana Laird, a stem cell and reproductive expert at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study. “It’s an important step in stem cell and reproductive biology.”
Scientists first took skin cells from the tails of male mice and transformed them into ‘induced pluripotent stem cells’ (iPS cells), which develop into different types of cells or tissues, and then grow them and It was revealed that the stem cells of male mice were converted into female cells through drug treatment to create cells with egg functions. When these eggs were fertilized and embryos were implanted into female mice, only seven of the 630 embryos transplanted—just over 1%—developed into live rat pups.
Katsuhiko Hayashi, head of the research team at Kyushu University and Osaka University in Japan, who led the research, told fellow scientists at the 3rd International Conference on Human Genome Editing last week that the offspring grew up normally and became parents themselves.
Laird and her colleague Jonathan Beyer said the study could open new avenues for research in reproductive biology and fertility for animals and people. In the future, for example, it may be possible to breed endangered mammals from single males.
“It may also be possible to allow more people, including male same-sex couples, to have biological children while avoiding the ethical and legal issues of egg donation,” they added.
However, there are a few caveats. Most notably, this technique is highly inefficient. It is unclear why so few of the embryos implanted into surrogate female mice survived. It is also unclear whether this method will work for humans.
Laird also said scientists should be mindful of mutations and errors before using stem cells to create eggs.
The study is the latest in a series of tests of a new room in the lab for making mouse embryos. Last summer scientists in California and Israel created “synthetic” mouse embryos from stem cells without the father’s sperm, mother’s eggs or uterus. These embryos became like natural mouse embryos in 8.5 days after fertilization. Scientists said this achievement could eventually lay the groundwork for creating synthetic human embryos for future research.
[AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.