Mice born from same-sex parents, according to a new study
A team of researchers has reported that they have been able to give birth to mice from same-sex parents, using a new technology that uses modified stem cells.
This method could allow a new approach for cloning mammals and even allow conception for homosexual couples.
The study presents a successful method, while previous similar researches were unsuccessful. In pairs of female mice, scientists created 29 young mice that lived to adulthood and reproduced normally. Mice created from two sets of male genetic material survived for only 48 hours, and researchers expect further study of why the process did not work.
“We are interested in the question of why mammals can only be sexually reproduced,” said one of the authors of the study, Qi Zhou.
Indeed, reptiles, amphibians and fish can breed with only one parent, but this process is more complicated for mammals.
It is unlikely that this kind of technology could be applied to humans in the future even if for the moment the risk of severe abnormalities is too high and it would take years of research to apply this method safely.
