Stem cell research: Human embryos may not be needed
Scientists think they may have found an alternative source for stem cell research - a breakthrough that could mean the end of the controversial use of human embryos.
A team of researchers in Germany discovered that isolated cells from mice testes may be just as useful as the stem cells in human embryos.
Publishing the claims in the journal Nature, the scientists, from the Georg August University in Gottingen, believe similar cells could also be extracted from human testicles through a biopsy.
If this is the case, no cloning or destruction of embryos would be necessary.
To perform the research, the team developed a transgenic breed of mouse in which sperm-producing stem cells were labelled with a fluorescent marker. This allowed them to isolate the stem cells in mouse testes.
After culturing the stem cells, they found that some of them looked like embryonic stem cells.
They called these cells multipotent adult germline stem cells (maGSCs).
Like embryonic stem cells, maGSCs can turn into a number of different types of cell including heart, brain and skin cells.
Following this, the team injected the cells into mouse embryos to see whether they could develop inside a living mouse.
In 90% of cases, they did. It is still unclear, however, whether the cells have this capacity under natural conditions inside the testicles.
More work will be needed to test the viability of the cells for the therapy and the group of scientists now plans to repeat the work in humans.
The work is currently only applicable to males.
