More than a decade ago, scientists succeeded for the first time in generating primordial germ cells—the precursors of sperm and eggs—from embryonic stem cells, a process that led to functional sperm capable of producing offspring. The milestone, achieved in mice, had not been repeated in any other species since.
Now, rats join the club. A study published today (April 7) in Science reports that researchers have produced healthy, fertile rat offspring with sperm made from stem cells. The process began with the induction of primordial germ cells from rat stem cells which, when transplanted into rat testes, developed into sperm, which in turn resulted in healthy and fertile offspring when injected into rat oocytes. The achievement may be helpful for biomedical research, where rats are widely used. The study, as well as the length of time that passed between success in mice and rats, also highlight the challenges involved in ...
