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Ethical and legal challenges in assisted same-sex conception through in vitro gametogenesis

Nature Medicine volume 30, pages 322–323 (2024)Cite this article

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As a matter of convention, same-sex human reproduction is deemed infeasible due to the absence of the requisite set of haploid gametes. Recently, however, it has become clear that bipaternal progeny may soon be technically possible thanks to the breakthrough science of in vitro gametogenesis (IVG)1. A disruptive reproductive technology in waiting, IVG has reached the point at which functional oocytes can be generated from male mice2. Using euploid induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from the tail of a sexually mature male mouse, Murakami et al. converted an XY chromosomal set to an XX counterpart as well as guiding the modified (XX) iPS cells towards an oocytic fate2. Fertilization of the resultant metaphase II oocytes gave rise to embryos, which were transferred to pseudopregnant mice and led to the birth of pups2. Recapitulation of this sequence in the human could, in time, enable male couples to beget progeny genetically related to both partners.

Earlier efforts to attain same-sex reproduction focused on deriving haploid embryonic stem (ES) cells from several mammalian species, including nonhuman primates3. The successful derivation of parthenogenetic and androgenetic haploid human ES cells followed3. Noted for their pluripotent, self-renewing and stable chromosomal nature, haploid ES cells proved unique in harboring germline competence as well3. Capitalizing on this latter property, Li et al.3 generated bimaternal and bipaternal progeny from haploid ES cells.

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References

  1. Saitou, M. & Hayashi, K. Science 374, eaaz6830 (2021).

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  3. Li, Z. K. et al. Cell Stem Cell 23, 665–676 (2018).

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  4. National Academies of Science Medicine and Engineering. In Vitro Derived Human Gametes as a Reproductive Technology: Scientific, Ethical, and Regulatory Implications: A Workshop https://go.nature.com/3tECoZD (2023).

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  6. Roberts, J. L. In Consumer Genetic Technologies: Ethical and Legal Considerations (eds. Cohen, I. G. et al.) 39–50 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2021).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Eli Y. Adashi

  2. Department of Genome Biology, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

    Katsuhiko Hayashi

  3. Department of Developmental Stem Cell Biology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Katsuhiko Hayashi

  4. Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    I. Glenn Cohen

  5. Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    I. Glenn Cohen

Authors
  1. Eli Y. Adashi
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  2. Katsuhiko Hayashi
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  3. I. Glenn Cohen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eli Y. Adashi.

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Competing interests

K.H. is an inventor on patent applications relating to in vitro oocyte production in mice filed by Kyushu University. I.G.C. is a member of the ethics advisory board for Illumina and the Bayer Bioethics Council.

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Adashi, E.Y., Hayashi, K. & Cohen, I.G. Ethical and legal challenges in assisted same-sex conception through in vitro gametogenesis. Nat Med 30, 322–323 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02689-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02689-7

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