(ORDO NEWS) — A group of scientists managed to modify the mouse genes so that the offspring of mice without a father (that is, without using the male’s seed) were born.
Parthenogenesis, while common, has never been seen in mammals in the wild.
In a study published in the journal Developmental Biology , scientists have successfully created viable mammalian offspring from an unfertilized egg by altering genes.
Parthenogenesis, which at first glance seems like a miracle, is actually quite common in nature. However, mammals cannot reproduce in this way – at least not in the wild.
How was the research?
The scientists were able to rewrite the mouse genome before stimulating the egg to develop into an embryo. They then placed the embryo in a female mouse, and it began to develop successfully.
Of the 192 embryos transferred, 14 continued to develop inside mice until the late stages of pregnancy, and three were born live mice. Unfortunately, only one mouse survived to adulthood.
Although the study is in its early stages and requires significant refinement of the genome editing process, the scientists are inspired and pleased with the results.
They believe that in the future, their approach could help develop new treatments for infertility, as well as open up new “opportunities in agriculture, research and medicine.”
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