Spermatogonial transplantation - an update for the millennium
Abstract
Spermatogonial transplantation as developed in the laboratory of Ralph
Brinster has been a technological breakthrough in the study of
Sertoli-germ cell interactions. For the first time, germ cells can be
transferred from one animal to another and from one species to another.
The transfer technology combined with developments in freezing germ cells,
long-term culture of germ cells, and enrichment of stem cell populations
portend even more significant breakthroughs in the new millennium. The
ultimate application of germ cell transfer would allow the in vitro
genetic manipulation of cultured stem cells that could then be
transplanted into recipient syngeneic or xenogeneic recipients and give
rise to functional male gametes. Clearly, this achievement would have
applications in basic science, human medicine, and domestic and wild
animal reproduction. While progress in this direction has been significant
and swift, significant barriers such as immunological response and
mechanisms for introducing genetic material into the stem cells remain to
be examined. This report is a chronological review of the technological
advances made and conceptual insights gained since the first report of
successful transplantation in 1994.