Egg Like Cells Produced From Pig Fetal Stem Cells

Canadian stem cell researchers at the University of Guelph are reporting that they have discovered stem cells within the skins of pig fetuses are able to produce egg-like cells.

Embryologists have been investigating for years to determine where germ cells are formed. These stem cells show that within the early stage embryo, different cell lines are formed which include the germ cells.

In mammals, germ cells become segregated from non-germ cells (called somatic cells) during embryonic development and migrate to the gonads, where they form sperm or eggs.

In this researches, stem cell researcher Julang Li and colleagues have demonstrated that post embryonic somatic stem cells can also differentiate into egg like cells in vitro.

It has yet to be proven if these eggs could be fertilized to form viable embryos. Li stated however, that the ability to generate egg-like cells from cells derived from the skin provides new possibilities for tissue therapy and reproductive engineering.