Researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel have created testicular organoids (that's the word for a single testicle) grown in the laboratory which are very similar to testicles real.
The discovery provides a promising research model that could advance understanding of organ development and translate into therapeutic applications for male infertility.
“Artificial testicles are a promising model for basic research into testicular development and function, which could be translated into therapeutic applications for disorders of sexual development and infertility,” said study author Nitzan Gonen.
The researchers began by trying to develop neonatal, rather than embryonic, mouse testicles.
The mice used in the study were genetically modified to allow researchers to track the presence and status of Sertoli cells, which are essential for testicle formation and sperm production and development.
Male infertility is currently a condition about which little is known about the genetic mechanisms that can cause it.
The organoids' close resemblance to real testicles means they could be used to advance knowledge of the mechanisms involved in sex determination and provide solutions to male infertility.
Therefore, in the future, researchers are already planning to produce organoids from human samples.
A testicular organoid produced from human cells could, for example, help children undergoing cancer treatment, which could impair their ability to produce functional sperm.
They envision harvesting immature sperm that are frozen and later used to create a fertile sperm-producing organoid.
*Published by Pedro Jordão, from CNN in Sao Paulo
Source: CNN Brasil
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