Potential for a New In Vitro Fertilization Technique to Enable Same-Sex Male Couples to Have Genetic Children

Researchers have recently identified a potential new method of in vitro fertilization that could potentially enable men in same-sex relationships to share genetic material and have a child. This breakthrough technique involves the use of the nucleus from a skin cell to replace the existing genetic material in a donated egg.

Described in the journal Science Advances on March 8, this procedure offers the possibility of creating an embryo that would contain the combined genetics of both fathers. This could have significant implications for same-sex couples, as well as for women who are unable to produce viable eggs due to advanced age, cancer treatment, or other medical reasons.

Shoukhrat Mitalipov, director of the Oregon Health & Science University Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, expounded on the ultimate goal of producing viable eggs for individuals without their own. While the procedure bears similarities to the method used by researchers in 1996 to clone a sheep in Scotland, the focus of the OHSU researchers is on creating embryos with genetics from both parents instead of producing a clone of a single parent.

The approach employed by the OHSU research team involved a three-step process in mouse experiments, starting with the removal of the nucleus from a mouse egg, transplanting a nucleus from a mouse skin cell into the egg, and inducing the implanted skin cell nucleus to shed half of its chromosomes. Finally, the researchers fertilized the new egg with sperm via in vitro fertilization, resulting in a healthy embryo with two sets of chromosomes contributed equally by both parents.

This method represents an alternative to a competing technique currently being tested by other research groups that involves fully reprogramming skin cells to become egg or sperm cells. As explained by researcher Dr. Paula Amato, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine, this approach eliminates the need for the lengthy cell reprogramming process, which can lead to harmful genetic and epigenetic changes over time.

While these findings provide valuable insights, the researchers emphasize that it will be several years before this technique could potentially become available for use in humans. Dr. Amato highlighted the need for further work to understand how these paired chromosomes divide accurately to replicate the natural process.

The potential for a new in vitro fertilization technique to enable same-sex male couples to have children with shared genetics is a promising and groundbreaking development that provides hope for those struggling with infertility issues.

For more information on in vitro fertilization, you can visit Planned Parenthood’s website. These findings were sourced from a news release issued by the Oregon Health & Science University on March 9, 2024.

In conclusion, the emergence of this new technology has the potential to empower same-sex couples by giving them the option of producing offspring with their shared genetics. Though still in its early stages, this development represents a significant step forward in the field of reproduction and fertility.