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Médecine de la Reproduction

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Is it possible to produce male gametes in vitro? The epigenetic reality Volume 13, issue 1, janvier-mars 2011

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Authors
CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, Unité de génétique et biologie du développement, Institut Curie, 26 rue d’Ulm, 75248 Paris, France

Is it possible to produce male gametes in vitro? At present, this question is still unresolved. However, the technical advances obtained from ES cell differenciationprotocoles, both in mice and humans, are extremely promising and open some major perspectives in reproductive medicine. For example, male germ cells derived from ES cells could potentially re-colonize the testes of infertile men. The complete ex vivo production of competent gametes could also be used for medically assisted fertilization. Recently, another technique was also employed: the differentiation of gametes from somatic cells after in vitro reprogramming (iPS). This technique would prevent the use of human embryos, from which ES cells are derived, in order to obtain in vitro gametes for infertile men. These in vitro models should allow an understanding of the kinetics and the microenvironment required for a proper programming of gametic and epigenetic identities. However, as reported in this review, the cellular and epigenetic defects induced by these in vitro methods highlight the spatial and temporal constraints required for germ cell development and limit these advancements. More studies will be necessary to overcome these biological barriers.