For the first time, Osaka University researchers have successfully restored sperm production in genetically infertile animals using mRNA directly injected into testicular tissue. The results of this breakthrough experiment were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
In their study, the scientists injected lipid nanoparticles containing mRNA (messenger RNA) for the Pdha2 gene, which is required for normal sperm production, into the testes of infertile laboratory mice. After just three weeks, mature embryonic cells appeared in the tissue. With these cells, the researchers were able to produce viable offspring using the ICSI (intra-ocular sperm injection) technique.
Messenger RNA is a molecule that transmits instructions from DNA to the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis. In this case, the mRNA has temporarily replaced the missing or non-functional genetic instructions, enabling the production of proteins necessary for sperm formation. Moreover, the mRNA did not integrate into the genome and did not cause DNA changes, which was confirmed by genetic analysis.
According to the authors, the technology could provide the basis for a new therapy for genetically determined male infertility. The method could potentially be adapted to restore fertility in people suffering from, for example, non-obstructive azoospermia, one of the most severe forms of spermatogenesis disorder.
Translation by Euromedia24.com
