Scientists in Japan have just created mice by using two biological fathers.
Katsuhiko Hayashi who led the research created eggs from the cells of male mice and proceeded to put those eggs inside surrogate mice which resulted in offspring.
The Guardian reported the new research will be used to treat infertility and also one day possibly allow same-sex couples to have a biological child together.
Hayashi the scientist behind the experiment would go on record saying “in terms of technology, it will be possible [in humans] even in 10 years.”
He would go on to state “that he personally would be in favour of the technology being used clinically to allow two men to have a baby if it were shown to be safe.”
The Guardian reported the science behind it:
Male skin cells were reprogrammed into a stem cell-like state to create so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The Y-chromosome of these cells was then deleted and replaced by an X chromosome “borrowed” from another cell to produce iPS cells with two identical X chromosomes.
“The trick of this, the biggest trick, is the duplication of the X chromosome,” said Hayashi. “We really tried to establish a system to duplicate the X chromosome.”
Finally, the cells were cultivated in an ovary organoid, a culture system designed to replicate the conditions inside a mouse ovary. When the eggs were fertilised with normal sperm, the scientists obtained about 600 embryos, which were implanted into surrogate mice, resulting in the birth of seven mouse pups. The efficiency of about 1% was lower than the efficiency achieved with normal female-derived eggs, where about 5% of embryos went on to produce a live birth.
Not everybody believes the new technology will translate well with humans.
Harvard Professor George Daley said the experiment was fascinating but creating “lab-grown gametes from human cells” is much more difficult for humans than mice.
It appears scientist are trying to play God once again.
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