Latest news with #CellStemCell
South China Morning Post
30-01-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientists create mice with 2 fathers using stem cell engineering
Chinese scientists have used embryonic stem cell engineering to create the first mice with two fathers to reach adulthood, which has also revealed a possible way to enhance the developmental potential of embryos. While scientists successfully created mice with two female parents over two decades ago, achieving the same feat with two male parents has proven a challenge. The latest development was made possible through the targeted genetic engineering of imprinted genes. Those genes are typically expressed from only one copy from either the mother or father while the other copy is silenced. 'We show that correcting 20 imprinted loci enables the development of viable bi-paternal mice,' the team led by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Stem Cell on Tuesday. 'These findings provide strong evidence that imprinting abnormalities are the main barrier to mammalian unisexual reproduction,' Luo Guanzheng, co-corresponding author and a professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, said in a journal press release. 'This approach can significantly improve the developmental outcomes of embryonic stem cells and cloned animals, paving a promising path for the advancement of regenerative medicine,' Luo said.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mouse with 2 dads reaches adulthood, redefining reproduction in a scientific milestone
A team of stem cell scientists successfully spawned mice from two male parents that reached adulthood, a significant step, but they still have to figure out the mechanics of the gene modification. In a new study published in Cell Stem Cell, investigators from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) overcame significant challenges that have hindered the advancement of unisexual reproduction in mammals. Efforts in the past may have developed embryos, but they stopped growing. The new approach focused on a particular set of genes, as per a press release. As "imprinting genes" regulate gene expression with 'unique characteristics," scientists believe that they are a fundamental barrier to unisexual reproduction in mammals,' co-corresponding author Qi Zhou of CAS said. CAS researchers modified these genes using various techniques, which allowed them to break new, significant ground in this area of research, bringing us one step closer to achieving what was once deemed impossible: making a baby from two same-sex parents. 'This work will help to address a number of limitations in stem cell and regenerative medicine research,' according to corresponding author Wei Li. In the study published in Cell, study authors posed the question: 'Are imprinting genes the sole barrier to bi-paternal reproduction in mammals?' Earlier attempts using ovarian organoids have failed to produce a bi-paternal mouse that didn't defect due to abnormalities in the imprinting genes. 'Even when constructing bi-maternal or bi-paternal embryos artificially, they fail to develop properly, and they stall at some point during development due to these genes,' Qi Zhou explained in a press release. They applied 20 genetic modifications to hundreds of imprinting genes, including frameshift mutations, gene deletions, and regulatory region edits. As a result, they 'developed a strategy that effectively addresses the most severe developmental defects in bi-paternal embryos,' as stated in the study. By targeting these genes, in particular, they were able to generate offspring from bi-paternal parents through ESC complementation haploid cell nuclear injection and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Only 11.8% of the embryos succeeded in developing until birth. Not all the mice survived until adulthood either due to enduring developmental defects. For most of those that did reach mature years, a press release continued, they still experienced abnormal growth and a shorter lifespan. They were also sterile. However, this method also 'led to stem cells with more stable pluripotency.' Far from a perfect science, the results of the study did show, however, that 'imprinting abnormalities represent a fundamental barrier to bi-paternal reproduction in mammals.' 'Further modifications to the imprinting genes could potentially facilitate the generation of healthy bi-paternal mice capable of producing viable gametes and lead to new therapeutic strategies for imprinting-related diseases,' co-corresponding author Zhi-Kun Li stated in a press release. Though the CAS team plans to conduct the same research on monkeys, for the moment, they're sticking to mice. They have to keep experimenting with modifying imprinting genes to create the right conditions for an embryo to develop normally. 'Whether this technology will ultimately be applied towards solving human disease remains unclear," as per the press release, to conclude.
