Scientists in Japan have successfully found a way to make a baby mouse from the chromosomes of two male mice in a groundbreaking experiment.
Irish Professor, Luke O’Neill, described the results of this research as ‘incredible’ while explaining to Newstalk listeners exactly how it happened.
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, the Trinity professor said that the technology could pave the way for two men to create a baby together and that the Japanese scientists believe it may be possible in just ten years' time.
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Speaking about the amazing discovery, Professor O’Neill said: “It is incredible science really isn’t it?”
“It is a Japanese group that has been working on fertilisation for decades and it is all about IVF and infertility.
“What they did was they took a male cell from a mouse – remember a male cell has an X and a Y chromosome, which makes it a male cell; A female is XX as you probably know.
“So, they got the XY cell, took out the Y chromosome, stuck in another X and now they have made that cell female if you know what I mean.
“They swapped a Y with an X and they have a double X cell now, of the same genetic material as the parent”.
The next step was when things would have been much more complicated and involved taking the new cell and “turning it back into an egg,” O’Neill explained.
“Then they got a sperm, fertilised that and the Y went in, made an XY and that little baby was born,” he said.
He said the scientist behind the study believes the technology could be usable in humans in about ten years.
“Basically, they’ve worked out this really complicated protocol really to start with two males and end up with an offspring,” he said.
“Ultimately it might be possible for two men to have a baby – obviously in the future.
“But this is a breakthrough because this has never been achieved before.”
The Trinity professor also highlighted the fact that this technology could also be used to treat infertility and Turner’s Syndrome.
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