Scientists Human Egg Sperm - Recently, British and Israeli scientists have revealed that they had developed primitive forms of artificial egg and sperm cells that aimed to help resolve age-related and fertility problems. The latest medical research findings were published in the American journal, Cell, on Wednesday, as reported by Science Daily.
University of Cambridge's scientists, in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science, revealed that they have discovered a way to create primordial germ cells that give rise to artificial human egg and sperm cells. According to CBS News, it is the first time that scientists have created human sex cells that have been programmed to address impending fertility problems.
The human egg and sperm development research, performed by British and Israeli scientists, could aid produce insight into fertility problems and early stages of embryonic development. In the future, researchers foresee that it can possibly allow the development of new kinds of reproductive technology.
"Researchers have been attempting to create human primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the petri dish for years," Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science research analyst Dr. Jacob Hanna said. "PGCs arise within the early weeks of embryonic growth, as the embryonic stem cells in the fertilized egg begin to differentiate into the very basic cell types. Once these primordial cells become 'specified,' they continue developing toward precursor sperm cells or ova 'pretty much on autopilot.'"
The latest research on human egg and sperm cells development came after Japanese scientists created mouse eggs from stem cells and used them to make baby mice. Though the study from rodents' stem cells was successful, The Guardian reported researchers struggled to do the same with human cells.
The impression of generating these cells emerged with the 2006 invention of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are adult cells that are modified to look and act like embryonic stem cells that can then differentiate into any cell type.
In the new study of human egg and sperm cells, scientists created a method to tune down the genetic pathway for its differentiation, thus producing a new type of iPS cell that they dubbed "naive cells." International Business Times reported these naive cells appeared to rejuvenate iPS cells one step further, closer to the original embryonic state from which they can truly differentiate into any cell type.
Hanna's team, in collaboration with the lab group of Professor Azim Surani of Cambridge University, found using the method they're able to transform up to 40 percent of the iPS cells into PGC cells. Scientists also noted that PGCs are only the first step in creating human egg and sperm cells, but Hanna is confident that it will one day be possible to use the findings to help enable women who have undergone chemotherapy or premature menopause to conceive.
Meanwhile, the developmental study of human egg and sperm cells has also yielded some interesting results. Scientists said they discovered a gene known as Sox17 that is critical for directing the iPS cells to become primordial germ cells in humans, but not in mice.
However, scientists warn that several questions remain before the human egg and sperm cell programming can be translated into medical use.
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