Science is one step closer to allowing two men to reproduce without the need for a surrogate.
Japanese researchers created seven mice with two male birth parents by using skin cells from a male mouse to create a viable egg and then fertilize it.
They hope this research will advance treatments for infertility. But it also paves the way for men in same-sex relationships to have a child without the need for a surrogate – which is becoming increasingly common in recent times.
“This is the first case in which robust mammalian oocytes have been made from male cells,” said Katsuhiko Hayashi of Kyushu University, who led the research. He went on to say that it could be functional in humans within a decade
A Japanese research team has successfully bred seven mouse puppies from eggs made from the cells of mice and fertilized with sperm from other males (photo).
Researchers presenting their findings at the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing in London aimed to develop a treatment for Turner syndrome.
The disease only affects women. This occurs when they have an X chromosome that is partially or completely absent from their genetic makeup.
Females usually have two X chromosomes, while males have an X and a Y.
These chromosomes are first developed in the womb and determine whether a fetus will undergo male or female development.
Women born with only one X chromosome are often infertile, have delayed puberty, are shorter and have an increased risk of heart or learning problems.
Japanese researchers hope to develop a stem cell treatment to reverse infertility associated with the condition.
They generated stem cells using eight-week-old mice and selected those that had lost a Y chromosome for some reason.
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The scientists then manipulated the cells to copy the remaining X chromosome, creating a cell with two X genes – which would normally be considered a female cell.
“The biggest trick here is the duplication of the X-chromosome,” said Dr. Hayashi.
They turned these cells into eggs and used sperm from male mice to fertilize them in the lab.
The process resulted in the birth of more than half a dozen healthy mouse puppies.
DR Hayashi told New Scientist he believes the door is now open to children born to two fathers.
Now his team hopes to repeat the same process with human cells.
“Technically it will be possible [in humans] even in 10 years,” he told The Guardian.
“I don’t know if they will be available for reproduction.
“It is not only a question of scientific training, but also of [society].’
Other experts have described the research as groundbreaking, but say there is still a long way to go before two male men can have a child without the need for a woman.
More than 70,000 women in America have Turner syndrome, or about one in 2,000.
The demand for surrogacy in America has exploded in recent years, in part due to an influx of same-sex couples seeking children.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
