Possibilities in Germ Cell Research: An Engineering Insight

Fereshteh Esfandiari; Omid Mashinchian; Mohammad Kazemi Ashtiani; Mohammad Hossein Ghanian; Katsuhiko Hayashi; Amir Ata Saei; Morteza Mahmoudi; Hossein Baharvand

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.09.004

Possibilities in Germ Cell Research: An Engineering Insight

Trends Biotechnol. 2015 Dec;33(12):735-746. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.09.004. Epub 2015 Oct 20.

Authors

Fereshteh Esfandiari¹, Omid Mashinchian², Mohammad Kazemi Ashtiani³, Mohammad Hossein Ghanian³, Katsuhiko Hayashi⁴, Amir Ata Saei⁵, Morteza Mahmoudi⁶, Hossein Baharvand⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology in Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
² Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, EPFL Campus, Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology in Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Developmental Stem Cell Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
⁵ Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁶ Nanotechnology Research Center and Department of Nanotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cardiovascular Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
⁷ Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology in Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: baharvand@royaninstitute.org.

PMID: 26497427
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.09.004

Abstract

Germ cells (GCs) are responsible for fertility and disruptions in their development or function cause infertility. However, current knowledge about the diverse mechanisms involved in GC development and function is still in its infancy. This is mainly because there are low numbers of GCs, especially during embryonic development. A deeper understanding of GCs would enhance our ability to produce them from stem cells. In addition, such information would enable the production of healthy gametes for infertile couples. In this regard, pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) demonstrated a promising ability to produce GCs in vitro. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the field of tissue engineering that suggest novel strategies to enhance GC research.

Keywords: gametes; germ cells; pluripotent stem cells; tissue engineering.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biomedical Research / organization & administration*
Biomedical Research / trends
Cell Differentiation
Cell Proliferation
Germ Cells / growth & development
Germ Cells / physiology*
Humans
Pluripotent Stem Cells / physiology
Tissue Engineering / methods*