Mice born with two fathers

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Groundbreaking: Scientists from Japan have bred mice with eggs from male cells. The seven mice that were born healthy do not have a mother.

Here’s how the research group, led by Katsuhiko Hayashi, a professor in Osaka, did it: The eggs were made by transforming male XY chromosome pairs from the skin cells of male mice into female XX chromosome pairs. For this, the skin cells were transformed into stem cells. Then the Y chromosomes were removed. Finally, the researchers copied the X chromosomes and then linked the copies to the original X chromosomes.

Applicable to humans in the future?

Hayashi presented his findings in London on Wednesday, the BBC reports. The research is still in its infancy, but Hayashi is confident his findings could benefit humanity: The researcher believes his technique will one day be used to enable male couples to have children with an egg produced from their own cells is made.

The technology could also be used to treat Turner syndrome. It is a genetic condition that only affects women. Affected people are partially or completely missing an X chromosome.

Hayashi pointed out in London that it could be several years before this technique can be successfully applied to humans. One of the challenges is that it takes longer for human eggs to be cultured. The longer the process takes, the greater the risk of deviations.

Harvard professor George Daley was impressed: “Hayashi’s work is fascinating.” However, he also points out that it is much more difficult to reproduce the results in humans. “We still don’t understand enough about the unique process of human gamete formation.” But he doesn’t think it’s impossible. (Darling)

Source: Blick