Male and Female Stem Cells Derived from One Donor in Scientific First
Studying otherwise identical XY, XX, X0, and XXY pluripotent stem cells will allow researchers to investigate sex-based differences in greater depth.
Scientists have developed a new line of stem cells—all derived from the same person—that can be used to study sex differences without the confounds of interpersonal genetic differences.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), which are cells taken from a person that are then reprogrammed to abandon their current roles and return to a stem cell–like state, have become valuable tools not only for therapeutic purposes but also for probing the genetic mechanisms underlying cell behavior and disease. However, findings drawn from stem cell studies may not be broadly applicable, as the fact that all cells in a given line share the same genetic sequence makes it difficult to generalize discoveries, especially when it comes to investigating potential sex differences.
In the study, the authors explored a few potential uses for the stem cells, such as tracking sex differences in the earliest stages of neural development, investigating whether the presence of the Y or an extra X chromosome drove changes in gene expression, and demonstrating that the Y chromosome was linked to increased expression of schizophrenia–associated genes. Reubinoff says that his lab will continue to study early development, but that he hopes other researchers will expand on the platform to examine other aspects of chromosomal sex differences, especially disease progression and drug development. He says he was “very surprised and very excited” to see that his platform yielded results that agreed with existing cohort studies, which he sees as verification of the model.
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