Stem Cells From Adults’ Skin Of Any Gender Could Be Developed Into A Sperm Or An Egg- Possibility For Two-Dad Babies

Stem cells derived from adults’ skin of any gender could be developed into a human egg or a sperm cell, say the researchers at Cambridge University in a project with Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, funded by Wellcome Trust.

This research opens the door for a baby made in laboratory dish from the skin of two adults of same gender or different genders, say The Sunday Times. The researchers who admitted to the fact that there are too many ethical issues involved, said that this could be of great help to people who had become infertile through disease and were also prompted by the gay community.

The researchers had previously used engineered eggs and sperms to create live baby mice but had trouble in creating a human version of primordial germ cells. These primordial germ cells could be generated into any tissue in the body which can serve as a repair kit to the organs and also for producing human egg or sperm cell.

New-germ line cells were created from the skin of 10 different donors and were found to be identical to natural human stem cells taken from the aborted foetuses. Azim Surani, professor of physiology and reproduction at Cambridge, who leads the project, said that they have succeeded in the foremost step of creating early human stem cells in the laboratory dish.

The epigenetic mutation in the germ line that happens with the age is wiped out in the engineered human germ cells, said Surani. Since the cells are reengineered and reset, the genetic mistakes that happen as a part of aging might not be passed on to the engineered human germ cells, added Surani.

Jacob Hanna, the specialist leading the project’s Israeli arm, said that though he is not in favour of creating engineered humans or against social and ethical values, he is sure that these developments could work in people who lost fertility through disease.

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: saranya@ibtimes.com.au