In a breakthrough that challenges the conventional understanding of mammalian reproduction, researchers have successfully generated mouse pups using genetic material from two male parents. The achievement is a significant advancement in regenerative medicine and stem cell research.
Led by developmental biologist Wei Li at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team spent almost six years improving their method to generate bi-paternal mice. Initially, they were able to create embryos with female gametes but failed to develop a placenta. However, after modifying up to 20 imprinted regions linked to overgrowth and mis-regulated paternal imprinting, nearly 12 percent of the embryos survived until birth.
In a monumental first, some of these bi-paternal mice lived to adulthood, despite showing signs of overgrowth and reduced lifespans. The researchers also demonstrated that these animals could be cloned from embryonic stem cells.
The achievement sheds light on mechanisms that can advance the generation of genetically modified animal models and improve our understanding of congenital diseases related to genomic imprinting. The findings have significant implications for regenerative medicine, offering a promising path forward in addressing genetic disorders.
“We’ve overcome one of the biggest barriers to mammalian unisexual reproduction,” said study coauthor Guan-Zheng Luo. Further modifications could potentially facilitate the generation of healthy bi-paternal mice capable of producing viable gametes and lead to new therapeutic strategies for imprinting-related diseases.
Source: https://www.the-scientist.com/in-a-first-mouse-pups-with-two-dads-live-to-adulthood-72505