Volgens een studie in Nature zijn testescellen even polyvalent als embryonale stamcellen. In deze studie namen de onderzoekers celbiopten bij 22 mannen tussen 17 en 81 jaar die een medische behandeling hadden ondergaan. Na enkele weken groei bleken de testescellen zich net als embryonale cellen te kunnen differentiëren in diverse celtypes. Dit nieuwe type stamcel zou nuttig kunnen zijn om gepersonaliseerd vervangingsweefsel te produceren, echter alleen voor mannen gezien hun oorsprong... Anderzijds (of welbeschouwd) ontsnappen testescellen aan het ethische debat over embryonale stamcellen.
Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult human testis
Human primordial germ cells and mouse neonatal and adult germline stem cells are pluripotent and show similar properties to embryonic stem cells. Here we report the successful establishment of human adult germline stem cells derived from spermatogonial cells of adult human testis. Cellular and molecular characterization of these cells revealed many similarities to human embryonic stem cells, and the germline stem cells produced teratomas after transplantation into immunodeficient mice. The human adult germline stem cells differentiated into various types of somatic cells of all three germ layers when grown under conditions used to induce the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. We conclude that the generation of human adult germline stem cells from testicular biopsies may provide simple and non-controversial access to individual cell-based therapy without the ethical and immunological problems associated with human embryonic stem cells.
Nature advance online publication 8 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nature07404; Received 1 February 2008; Accepted 18 September 2008; Published online 8 October 2008
