德國明斯特馬普分子醫(yī)學(xué)研究所研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)了獲取干細胞的新途徑，他們通過特殊的培植方法，從成年實驗鼠睪丸細胞中獲取了與胚胎干細胞性質(zhì)相似的干細胞,，這種干細胞同樣可以用于動物器官和肌體組織再造。這一成果刊登在最新一期的《細胞·干細胞》雜志上,。
雄性動物的睪丸具有很強的細胞再生能力,，男人即使在七老八十還能持續(xù)產(chǎn)生精液，只要有條件就能繼續(xù)生育后代,。因此,，研究人員猜測睪丸細胞中含有具備類似胚胎干細胞的特性、能構(gòu)成人體器官和組織的200多種類型的細胞,。國際上許多研究小組確實從人體和實驗鼠生殖腺中找到了一些證據(jù)：2004年初日本的一個研究小組發(fā)現(xiàn),，新生鼠睪丸中的特定細胞具有類似胚胎干細胞的特性，可培育多種器官組織,；2006年德國哥廷根大學(xué)的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，這種睪丸細胞的轉(zhuǎn)換能力在成年雄性動物中也存在。
睪丸細胞轉(zhuǎn)換成干細胞的能力已經(jīng)可以肯定,，但如何通過人工方法使睪丸細胞變成類似的胚胎細胞還存在相當?shù)募夹g(shù)難度,，德國明斯特馬普分子醫(yī)學(xué)研究所正是在這一點上取得了突破。該所研究人員Kinarm Ko博士及其同事首先從成年鼠的睪丸細胞中培植出了一種所謂的胚腺體干細胞(英文簡稱為GSGs),，在自然環(huán)境下,，這種細胞一直可以產(chǎn)生新的精液。一個成年鼠的睪丸細胞中每次可以培植出2個至3個這樣的細胞,，然后提取單個細胞進行隔離和繁殖,。細胞培植的過程通常要幾周。
馬普分子醫(yī)學(xué)研究所的這項成果在于用簡單的方法,，可以成功地從睪丸細胞中獲取類似的胚胎干細胞,，而不必在細胞轉(zhuǎn)換過程中借助基因、病毒或修正蛋白,。進一步的試驗顯示,，這種從睪丸細胞中獲取的干細胞同樣可以培植各種器官和肌體組織細胞。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Cell Stem Cell, Volume 5, doi:10.1016/j.stem.2009.05.025
Induction of Pluripotency in Adult Unipotent Germline Stem Cells
Kinarm Ko1,Natalia Tapia1,Guangming Wu1,Jeong Beom Kim1,Marcos J. Araúzo Bravo1,Philipp Sasse2,Tamara Glaser3,David Ruau4,5,Dong Wook Han1,Boris Greber1,Kirsten Hausd?rfer3,Vittorio Sebastiano1,Martin Stehling1,Bernd K. Fleischmann2,Oliver Brüstle3,Martin Zenke4,5andHans R. Sch?ler1,,
1 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster 48149, Germany
2 Institute of Physiology I, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
3 Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn and Hertie Foundation, 53105 Bonn, Germany
4 Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen 52074, Germany
5 Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
Mouse and human stem cells with features similar to those of embryonic stem cells have been derived from testicular cells. Although pluripotent stem cells have been obtained from defined germline stem cells (GSCs) of mouse neonatal testis, only multipotent stem cells have been obtained so far from defined cells of mouse adult testis. In this study we describe a robust and reproducible protocol for obtaining germline-derived pluripotent stem (gPS) cells from adult unipotent GSCs. Pluripotency of gPS cells was confirmed by invitro and invivo differentiation, including germ cell contribution and transmission. As determined by clonal analyses, gPS cells indeed originate from unipotent GSCs. We propose that the conversion process requires a GSC culture microenvironment that depends on the initial number of plated GSCs and the length of culture time.
