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The in vitro generation of germ cells from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) may have a substantial effect on reproductive medicine in the future.
A decade ago, in vitro gametogenesis, that is, the process of producing male gametes (sperm), was achieved in the mouse. However, induction of primordial germ cell-like cells to produce gametes has not been achieved in any other species.
But a team of Japanese scientists has taken another step by achieving induction of primordial germ cell-like cell functions of rat pluripotent stem cells.
In the study published in “Science” researchers from the University of Tokyo led by Toshihiro Kobayashi
achieved that primordial germ cell-like cells generated in vitro from rat stem cells were capable of producing spermatozoa in vivo and generating normal rat pups.
When transplanted into the testes of germline-negative rats, these cells mature into functional sperm. Furthermore, the injection of these sperm into unfertilized eggs allowed the birth of normal offspring.
And, although the birth of offspring from in vitro-derived germ cells was previously achieved in mice, this work is relevant because rats are the most important animal model for human biomedical research.
According to the authors, because rats are physiologically more similar to humans than mice, these advances in gametogenesis in vitro could allow further investigation into the causal effects of a variety of disorders and hereditary diseases.
Furthermore, the findings provide new insights into the conserved and divergent mechanisms essential for successful gametogenesis in vitro for other species.
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