Mouse eggs reach in vitro

2002/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia

The mammal females, at birth, have millions of oocytes in the ovary. Of them only a few hundred arrive. The maturation process is very complex, so the in vitro realization is really complicated.

However, according to a paper published in the journal Nature, scientists have managed to take that step. Researchers from the Gunma University of Japan have tested from the most immature mouse eggs, with an optimal result.

In the method only the kernel arrives. Only the nucleus arrives, so as it is done in the cloning, they have had to remove it and place it in another mature ovum. The ovum has been fertilized in vitro and placed in the uterus of a female mouse. In the end healthy cells have been born.

According to researchers, the technique can be very useful for girls with cancer. In fact, chemotherapy is sterilized, but if desired, ovaries can be removed and stored before starting treatment. However, researchers believe that the use of this technique in humans can last about five years.