Oocytes from ES cells

Beijing, China -

The generation of oocyte-like cells from embryonic stem cells is described in the current paper (Qing et al. Induction of oocyte-like cells from mouse embryonic stem cells by co-culture with ovarian granulosa cells. Differentiation. 2007 May 9).

Following the previous example of neural coculture stimulating embryonic stem cells to neural differentiation or mesenchymal stem cells into liver, the current authors decided to generate a two step approach to differentiation embryonic stem cells into oocyte-like cells.

Essentially, the authors generated embryoid bodies by 4 day culture, collected the cells that had differentiated towards primordial germ cells, and cultured the primordial germ cells on granulosa cells in order to mimic the enviroment of where the oocyte developes.

The authors found that the cells differentiated into oocyte-like cells which expressed the markers Mvh, SCP3, Figalpha, GDF-9, and ZP1-3. THE NEXT QUESTION IS...WILL THESE OOCYTES BECOME FERTILIZED?