Biologists convert skin cells into human eggs in a pioneering experience

A team of scientists withdrew a microscopic trick worth Hodini. In a new research today, they show that it is possible to create functional human egg cells from a person’s skin cells.

Researchers at the Oregon University of Health and Science led study, Published Tuesday in Nature Communications. Using a variety of techniques, it has succeeded in enriching eggs caused by skin cells, which grew in the laboratory for several days. Although the results are only evidence of the concept at the present time, the method can one day provide a new way to treat infertility if it succeeds completely, the researchers say.

(F) Urther research is required to ensure effectiveness and safety before future clinical applications, “they wrote in the paper.

Cell re -programming

Millions of people all over the world suffer from infertility, often due to dysfunctional modifier (eggs or sperm).

Fertility in the laboratory can help some husbands successfully, but not all, especially people who seem to have no functional eggs. Scientists in OHSU and elsewhere have assumed that other cells of the person can be reprogrammed in a functional egg or sperm cell using a called a so -called method In the formation of walking in the laboratory (IVG). This newly formed chant can be used for enrichment as usual (some scholars a job On a different branch of IVG, try to create egg cells and sperm from stem cells).

Ohsu and others so far Prejudiced Female IVG can be performed using mice skin cells, but the new study seems to be the first to show that such a process is possible with human cells as well.

To create these eggs, the researchers replaced the egg cell nucleus with a skin cell – a method called nuclear transmission of physical cells. The method was previously used to create cloned animals, such as Dolly sheep.

However, they could not stop there, because healthy eggs and sperm contain only one group of chromosomes, while other cells carry two. Thus, the use of alternative eggs as is the typical fertilization will lead to the adopted eggs that develop into embryos-with many chromosomes.

To overcome this obstacle, researchers have applied Mitomiaosis, a technique aimed at imitating the natural process of division. This process helps to convert cells with two groups of chromosomes into sperm or egg cell that carries one group, while eliminating reserve groups of chromosomes.

82 functional eggs were born in total. Among them, 9 % was successfully fertilized by sperm and developed into the Armiya cyst, cell ball that consists of about five days to fertilization. Researchers usually study the embryos only in the laboratory until they reach the stage of the aromatic cyst, which is also done when doctors grow a fetus created through artificial insemination in the womb of a person.

He left a lot to overcome it

As it was impressive, as this was the achievement of the team, they warn that this technique is still far from being medically useful.

In addition to the low fertilization rate, explosive air conditioning had many chromosome abnormalities. More tests found that although they were able to successfully reprogram egg cells with the correct number of chromosomes (23), these eggs are likely to have vital differences from naturally produced eggs.

Programmed eggs were not subject to the re -installation process during the mechanical division, for example. This is it practical When the cells of the cell are mixed of chromosomes from the sides of our mother and our father together to form eggs and sperm that contain one group of chromosomes that contain substances from both parents (this helps to ensure genetic diversity).

In other words, as is the case now, these eggs are unlikely for embryos that can successfully develop into a human fetus.

“While our study shows Dutomai’s capabilities to form walking in the laboratory, at this stage, it remains just evidence of the concept,” the authors wrote.

However, the team’s work makes them closer to the goal of creating viable eggs than nothing in practice. With enough time, research and luck, their methods or something similar to some families can allow children who have not been able to get them.