Copyright: Anne Burgess
Recently, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan were able to induce stem cells of rats to become viable eggs, which were then implanted in surrogate mothers. The resultant offspring were fertile, anatomically intact rats that were bred for additional generations, their ancestor being only a cell in a petri dish. This discovery has excited scientists the world over because it marks the first step towards making eggs for infertile humans or gays and lesbians.
The scientists at Kyoto began by taking female embryonic cells and “induced pluripotent stem cells”, and then inducing them to become an early form of eggs. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult cells that have been reprogrammed to express certain genes that make them effectively embryonic cells. There is some debate as to whether iPSCs differ from embryonic stem cells taken from harvested embryos, but in this instance they acted identically to the conventional stem cells.
The immature eggs, called “primordial germ-like cells” or PGCLCs, were then surrounded by “female gonadal somatic cells” (cells usually found in an ovary) to create a reconstituted ovary. These constructed ovaries were implanted into surrogate mothers, where the PGCLCs matured into “germinal vesicle-stage oocytes” or early embryos formed during the primary oocyte stage of oogenesis (egg formation), which occurs before birth. The mice that had been implanted with these constructed ovaries eventually gave birth to fertile offspring, which were followed by a few additional generations.
Though scientists have called this discovery a major step forward in reproductive biology, the lead scientist on the Kyoto team, Dr. Hayashi, cautioned: “it is impossible to immediately adapt this system to human stem cells” for a number of reasons scientific and moral. Creating egg cells from stem cells in humans could allow menopausal women to conceive, which brings its own set of moral quandaries as well. Ronald Green, a bioethicist at Dartmouth University, commented on NPR that one had to consider “the commercial possibilities of people selling to infertile people babies produced from George Clooney or Jennifer Aniston.” Evidently, the possibility that egg manufacture might one day be possible has sparked heated debate, but one must remember that it may only be speculation.
saysquad
Great job thephilosopher! This article on stem cells is super interesting. I had no idea that stem cells, from a rat, could create life. While stem cells have provided solutions to many different medical/scientific issues, and saved many lives, they have also been cause of major controversy and scandal. One of the most notable of the scandals occurred in South Korea. Another occurred in England. For more information on this, see the links below:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec05/scandal_12-27.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8082935/Baby-death-scandal-at-stem-cell-clinic-which-treats-hundreds-of-British-patients-a-year.html
dwil
Wow! This post is one of the most interesting I have read to date. Stem cells have over the last few years been a large part of all medical research. They are very important in the fertilization field as well in rehabilitation. Because of stem cells, people who once were deaf now have a possibility of getting their hearing back thanks to stem cell research. This new ‘innovation’ will help millions of people, including those trying to have a child like you mentioned. Giving those who can’t the ability to have a child of their own with their own genes is a great thing. While it has caused a lot of debate, I believe everyone has a right to this; and stem cells may be able to give it to those who need it.