In an experiment conducted by a team of researchers in China, a mouse has been successfully created with no biological mother, surviving until puberty. This remarkable achievement has opened doors to a new area of genetic engineering and raised questions about the future of human reproduction, particularly the possibility of children being born from two men without a woman.
Where Was This Experiment Conducted?
The experiment was led by molecular biologist Zhi Kun Li and his team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Using cutting-edge stem cell engineering, the researchers managed to overcome numerous biological hurdles. Interestingly, this is not the first instance of scientists creating a mouse with two fathers. In 2023, Japanese researchers had successfully done so, though the mouse’s lifespan was much shorter. However, the success of the recent Chinese experiment is significant because the mouse lived a full life and reached puberty.
Have Such Attempts Been Made Before?
In the past, creating a mouse with two fathers was challenging. Previous attempts to generate eggs from male stem cells had been unsuccessful. While surrogacy offers an alternative for children to be born without a biological mother, it is a complex process with many hurdles. The mice born in this study in China, though not capable of independent reproduction, exhibited exceptional health compared to other animals in similar experiments. They showed no apparent health issues, which marks a notable improvement over previous attempts.
Can Such Experiments Be Done on Humans?
While the experiment is groundbreaking, there is still much work to be done before this technology can be applied to humans. Only half of the mice in this study survived to adulthood, and approximately 90% of the embryos failed to develop. The researchers acknowledge that the success rate of such experiments must improve considerably before it can be considered a viable option for human reproduction. Nevertheless, they believe their findings could contribute to a deeper understanding of certain genetic disorders and mental health issues in humans.
The Genetic Disorder and Its Challenges
In typical reproduction, when sperm fertilizes an egg, the genetic material is doubled, and half of the genes need to be silenced. However, when the genetic material comes from two sperm cells, this silencing process is disrupted, often leading to various disorders. This imprinting issue has been a significant obstacle in creating artificial embryos from two males or two females.
How Did Researchers Overcome This?
Li and his team developed a new technique that combined gene deletion, region editing, and the addition or removal of genetic base pairs to correct this imprinting issue. This innovative approach was critical in overcoming the challenges faced by previous attempts to generate unisexual embryos. The researchers’ successful experiment represents a significant leap forward in genetic research, particularly in the realm of reproductive science.
The road to unisexual reproduction remains long and complex. While the mice produced in the Chinese study cannot reproduce, the success rate of creating viable embryos has been improved to 13%. The researchers are hopeful that by refining the imprinting process, the success rate will increase in future attempts. In their study published in Cell Stem Cell, they emphasize that overcoming gene imprinting issues will be crucial to the success of such experiments in the future.
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