title: In vitro differentiation of germ cells from stem cells: a comparison between primordial germ cells and in vitro derived primordial germ cell-like cells.
abstract: Stem cells are unique cell types capable to proliferate, some of them indefinitely, while maintaining the ability to differentiate into a few or any cell lineages. In 2003, a group headed by Hans R. Schöler reported that oocyte-like cells could be produced from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in vitro. After more than 10 years, where have these researches reached? Which are the major successes achieved and the problems still remaining to be solved? Although during the last years, many reviews have been published about these topics, in the present work, we will focus on an aspect that has been little considered so far, namely a strict comparison between the in vitro and in vivo developmental capabilities of the primordial germ cells (PGCs) isolated from the embryo and the PGC-like cells (PGC-LCs) produced in vitro from different types of stem cells in the mouse, the species in which most investigation has been carried out. Actually, the formation and differentiation of PGCs are crucial for both male and female gametogenesis, and the faithful production of PGCs in vitro represents the basis for obtaining functional germ cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.|Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Germplasm Enhancement in Universities of Shandong, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.|Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Germplasm Enhancement in Universities of Shandong, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome 00133, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Felici
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.|Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Germplasm Enhancement in Universities of Shandong, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005718:Gametogenesis; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*