Japanese fertility researchers create motherless mice with eggs made from male cells

Researchers in Japan have discovered how to produce mice with two male parents, a scientific breakthrough that may mean new possibilities for human reproduction as technology advances. 

As reported by The Guardian, scientists at Kyushu University were able to generate eggs from the cells of a male mouse, enabling them to successfully fertilize them and produce mice without biological mothers.



"The advance could ultimately pave the way for treatments for severe forms of infertility, as well as raising the tantalizing prospect of same-sex couples being able to have a biological child together in the future," the outlet proclaimed of the new discovery.

"This is the first case of making robust mammal oocytes from male cells," said Katsuhiko Hayashi, the leader of the project who shared the results of the experimentation on Wednesday at the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing at the Francis Crick Institute in London. According to the UK publication, Hayashi is "internationally renowned as a pioneer in the field of lab-grown eggs and sperm."

"Previously scientists have created mice that technically had two biological fathers through a chain of elaborate steps, including genetic engineering," the Guardian reported, noting that this instance is a breakthrough because it is the first time viable eggs have been grown from biologically male cells.

The scientists were able to cultivate 600 embryos, which were implanted into female surrogate mice and resulted in seven baby mice, making for a 1 percent efficiency rate. In comparison, male-female derived eggs went on to make it to live birth 5 percent of the time.

"They look OK, they look to be growing normally, they become fathers," said Hayashi of the seven mice pups, who all went on to live a normal lifespan and reproduce on their own.

Hayashi predicts that humans will be able to produce human eggs using only DNA from two male parents within the next ten years. 

"Purely in terms of technology, it will be possible [in humans] even in 10 years," Hayashi said, noting that he would like to see the procedure become possible if it is demonstrated to be safe. 

"I don't know whether they'll be available for reproduction," he said. "That is not a question just for the scientific programme, but also for [society]."

The Kyushu research group is currently working to see if something similar can be achievable in humans.