Studying human reproductive biology through single-cell analysis and in vitro differentiation of stem cells into germ cell-like cells

AbstractBACKGROUNDUnderstanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of human reproductive development has been limited by the scarcity of human samples and ethical constraints. Recently,in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into germ cells and single-cell analyses have opened new avenues to directly study human germ cells and identify unique mechanisms in human reproductive development.OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALEThe goal of this review is to collate novel findings and insightful discoveries with these new methodologies, aiming at introducing researchers and clinicians to the use of these tools to study human reproductive biology and develop treatments for infertility.SEARCH METHODSPubMed was used to search articles and reviews with the following main keywords:in vitro differentiation, human stem cells, single-cell analysis, spermatogenesis, oogenesis, germ cells and other key terms related to these subjects. The search period included all publications from 2000 until now.OUTCOMESSingle-cell analyses of human gonads have identified many important gene markers at different developmental stages and in subpopulations of cells. To validate the functional roles of these gene markers, researchers have used thein vitro differentiation of human pluripotent cells into germ cells and confirmed that some genetic requirements are unique in human germ cells and are not conserved in mouse models. Moreover, transcriptional regulatory networks and the interaction of germ and ...
Source: Human Reproduction Update - Category: OBGYN Source Type: research