Mouse born to same-sex parents in major breakthrough - and the implications are huge

Every so often a scientific discovery comes along that is enough to baffle the smartest people you know - and this could be one of them.

Scientists in China have managed to genetically-modify a mouse to be born from two same-sex parents, and survive.

Through manipulated embryonic stem cells, the laboratory mice were created using two male adult mice, in what's being hailed as a breakthrough in genetic engineering.

The mouse managed to survive to adulthood, though with abnormalities, but it's thought this could be the first major step in finding solutions to re-populating rare species.

Not only that, but it could inform the field of regenerative medicine, which involves replacing tissue or organs damaged by disease or other factors.

Now, when you delve into the details behind this case, researchers took the examples of animals that don't reproduce sexually, like reptiles and birds, and applied the logic to mice.

Mouse with two male parents first to reach adulthood in scientific revelationPexels

They were then able to 'edit' a mouse's embryonic stem cells targeting a class of mammal-specific genes known as imprinted genes.

"Generally speaking, imprinted genes have been thought to serve as a 'lock' preventing mammals from undergoing unisexual reproduction. However, this widely accepted hypothesis had not been conclusively proven before," said developmental biologist Wei Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who helped lead the study.

"This is a fundamental science study focused on animal models. There are no plans to extend this type of experimentation to humans," he added.

The researchers created 1,081 embryos. Of those, about 12 per cent survived to birth, with 84 male and 50 female pups born. Unfortunately, over half died before reaching adulthood.

"The bipaternal mice exhibited developmental disorders, including craniofacial deformities, where their facial width-to-length ratio was broader compared to normal mice. They also had difficulty suckling," said developmental biologist and study co-author Guan-Zheng Luo of Sun Yat-sen University.

"However, the mice still exhibited behavioral abnormalities, such as a tendency to enter the center of an open-field test, which is contrary to the instinctive behavior of rodents, who typically prefer to stay near the edges. The sterility of the bipaternal mice may be due to excessive modifications of imprinted genes, as these regions play various roles in development."

While there's still a long way to go, this research could be a game-changer for other species facing the threat of extinction.

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