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.
Conrad
Sabine
S
Institute of Anatomy, Department of Experimental Embryology, Tübingen, Germany.
Renninger
Markus
M
Hennenlotter
Jörg
J
Wiesner
Tina
T
Just
Lothar
L
Bonin
Michael
M
Aicher
Wilhelm
W
Bühring
Hans-Jörg
HJ
Mattheus
Ulrich
U
Mack
Andreas
A
Wagner
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Minger
Stephen
S
Matzkies
Matthias
M
Reppel
Michael
M
Hescheler
Jürgen
J
Sievert
Karl-Dietrich
KD
Stenzl
Arnulf
A
Skutella
Thomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013724:Teratoma / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*
D015415:Biomarkers