A new discovery out of Japan has the potential to allow gay men to create an egg of their own stem cells, without the use of a female donor. Unlike surrogacy, the child would be born with the DNA of both parents.
The Guardian Express reports:
The Japanese research team, led by Mitinori Saitou of Kyoto University in Japan, said that they had finally attained their seemingly insurmountable objective: creating eggs from embryonic stem cells, as well as producing eggs that will become healthy offspring.
The most astonishing part of the discovery was that the bio-engineered eggs were the fertilized in-vitro with sperm created from stem cells as well, and then implanted in the mice.The resulting pregnancy produced healthy mice, and so far, this accomplishment is a rousing success.
The embryonic stem cells used in the study were a different kind of stem cell than we are used to hearing about. When we think of stem cells, we think of umbilical cord stem cells. But this differing type of stem cell, referred to as Induced pluripotent stem cells, can be obtained from the skin cells of a mouse, and a human as well.
An advancement such as this, no matter how mind-blowingly incredible, is bound to polarize both progressives and conservatives.
hyhybt
Do you not still need at least one X chromosome from *somewhere,* as well as a uterus for the result to grow in?
Eric Auerbach
@hyhybt: Men have an X chromosome, hybybt …
hyhybt
How embarrassing. Of course we do; my mind is otherwise occupied today. Sorry about the idiocy.
The uterus, however, does seem essential.
horace
Can someone correct or explain this non-sentence;
The most astonishing part of the discovery was that the bio-engineered eggs were the fertilized in-vitro with sperm created from stem cells as well, and then implanted in the mice.The resulting pregnancy produced healthy mice, and so far, this accomplishment is a rousing success.
I wish Queerty had an editor.
redcarpet
I would do this if it were available. I’ll bet it will be prohibitively expensive though, plain invitro is only now becoming relatively affordable. The real cost of surrogacy is the carrier. All told I haven’t been able to find anything for less than $100,000. You can go overseas, but that is hardly ethical.
Lesbians certainly have an advantage in this department.
jean
The title is incorrect, it should say Gay Men Could Reproduce Through Stem Cells, Without Egg Donor. A female surrogate is still needed to carry the baby to term, that is often the most expensive part. Also, the article didn’t mention there is a 1 in 4 chance of YY, which is probably non-viable and won’t develop, which will increase the cost. The interesting thing is the 1 in 4 chance of XX, which should be a perfectly normal girl! The other combinations are XY and YX, either one would be a boy.
hf2hvit
Only gay men? So if two straight men wanted to do it, they don’t have the required secret sauce?
Dumdum
Great just what we need MORE superficial queers watching Bravo and Logo and freaking out on Project Runway. Goody goody gum drops, pinch me am I dreaming??????? Maybe we gay men can carry the baby ourselves, then just poop it out.