Generation of functionally competent testicular somatic cells from pluripotent stem cells - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #testicular somatic cells
- #spermatogenesis
- #stem cells
- A method was developed to generate fetal testicular somatic cell-like cells (fTeSLCs) from embryonic stem cells.
- fTeSLCs closely resemble their in vivo counterparts in transcriptomic profile, including Sertoli cells and interstitial cells.
- Interstitial cell-like cells (ICLCs) differentiated into Leydig cells and restored androgenic support in testes lacking endogenous Leydig cells.
- Sertoli-like cells (SerLCs) reconstituted the seminiferous epithelium after ablation of endogenous Sertoli cells.
- Both ICLCs and SerLCs supported spermatogenesis, producing spermatids that reached the elongating stage.
- Round spermatids from these systems produced viable offspring via round spermatid injection.
- The findings highlight fTeSLCs as a functional platform for studying testis development and spermatogenesis.