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Updated: Jan 26, 2026
12:09
Protocol for Human Blastoids Modeling Blastocyst Development and Implantation
Published on: August 10, 2022
7.3K
Development of blastocyst complementation technology without contributions to gametes and the brain
Haruo Hashimoto1, Tomoo Eto1, Masafumi Yamamoto1
1Central Institute for Experimental Animals, 3-25-12, Tonomachi, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan.
Experimental Animals
|April 19, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed new technology to create animal-human stem cell chimeras without human cells contributing to the brain or gametes. This method addresses ethical concerns for future stem cell research in animals.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Bioethics
Background:
- Animal-human chimeric embryos are possible but raise ethical concerns regarding human cell contribution to animal brains and gametes.
- Restrictions exist on producing animal-human pluripotent stem (PS) cell chimeras due to fears of human-like intelligence and humanized gametes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel blastocyst complementation technology to prevent human pluripotent stem cell contribution to the brain and gametes in animal chimeras.
- To address ethical concerns associated with animal-human PS chimeras.
Main Methods:
- Established GFP-expressing mouse embryonic stem cells (G-mESCs) with knockout Prdm14 and Otx2 genes.
- Generated chimeric mice by injecting these modified G-mESCs into PDX-1-deficient blastocysts.
Main Results:
- The modified G-mESCs did not contribute to the formation of gametes or the brain in the resulting chimeric mice.
- Germline transmission to the next generations was not observed in PDX-1-deficient mice complemented by these G-mESCs.
Conclusions:
- The novel blastocyst complementation technology successfully prevented human stem cell contribution to the brain and gametes.
- This approach offers a potential solution to ethical concerns regarding animal-human chimeras in stem cell research.
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