JLE

Médecine de la Reproduction

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Is the generation of oocyte and sperm from embryonic stem cells ethically acceptable? Volume 13, issue 1, janvier-mars 2011

Author
Université Paris-Sud, UMR-S0782, 92140 Clamart ; AP-HP, Service de gynécologie-obstétrique et médecine de la reproduction, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, 157, rue de la Porte de Trivaux, 92140 Clamart ; INSERM, U782, 92140 Clamart, France

<p>The process of germ line differentiation allows the production of mature gametes that are competent for fertilization and carry genetic and epigenetic information.</p><p>The in vitro production of germ line stem cells (GSC) is possible to understand the mechanisms underlying the emergence and the programming of these cells supporting heredity, and to further develop applications in reproductive and regenerative medicine.</p><p>Preliminary experiments to derive in vitro GSC from ES cells were attempted in humans, but the culture and selection methods were not optimized, their epigenetic identity was not investigated and the differentiation into mature gametes was not conducted at the same time, and so ethical consideration should be raised.</p>