In a revolutionary breakthrough, scientists have successfully created mice with two fathers.In a recent study published in the journal Nature, researchers from Osaka University and Kyushu University in Japan have reported their success in transforming male cells into eggs. Male mice have both X and Y chromosomes, while females have two X chromosomes, similar to humans.
A recent study involved researchers taking skin cells from the tail of a male mouse and turning them into induced pluripotent stem cells in a laboratory setting. During the process, roughly 6 percent of the mice cells lost their Y chromosome and became XO, with only one X chromosome. The researchers then used a fluorescent protein and a drug called reversine to duplicate the existing X chromosome in these XO cells, ultimately creating an XX set of chromosomes. This process is a significant advancement in reproductive biology and could potentially have implications for fertility treatments.
The XX cells that were created by duplicating the X chromosome were then grow in laboratory to develop into viable egg cells. These eggs were subsequently fertilized with sperm obtained from another male mouse and were implanted into the uterus of a female mouse surrogate.
According to the study, among 630 attempts, only seven pups were born, resulting in a success rate of just over 1%. However, the good news is that the seven pups born did not display any abnormalities and are fertile themselves. These findings are highly promising and indicate that the process of manipulating male cells into viable egg cells may have significant importance for future of fertility treatments and genetic research.