Material and methods for the production of sperm and analysis thereof
AssigneeThe Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
InventorsIna Dobrinski, Stefan Schlatt, Ali Honaramooz, Hans Scholer
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Abstract
Provided herein are methods of producing viable sperm from neonatal mammalian testes which have been engrafted in mice.
Claims19
A method for production of sperm in a recipient animal, comprising,
- a) obtaining a graft of testis tissue from a donor animal and optionally maintaining said graft in a suitable culture medium until transplant;
- b) implanting said graft under the skin of a recipient animal for a suitable time period under conditions where spermatogenesis occurs;
- and
- c) harvesting said sperm from said graft.
An isolated testis graft for the production of sperm, said graft being approximately 0.5-1 mm3 and comprising seminiferous tubules with sertoli cells, and germ cells, said graft producing sperm upon implantation into a recipient animal.
The sperm of claim 15, which is cryopreserved.
A method for identifying agents which affect germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis comprising
- a) obtaining a graft of testis tissues from a donor animal and optionally maintaining said graft in a suitable culture medium until transplant;
- b) implanting said graft under the skin of a pair of recipient animals for a suitable time period under conditions where spermatogenesis occurs;
- and
- c) administering an agent suspected of affecting germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis to one of said pair of non-host animals;
- and
- d) harvesting the grafts obtained from said pair of animals and comparing germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis in grafts obtained from treated recipient animals versus untreated recipient animals, thereby identifying agents which affect germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis.
A method for identifying agents which affect germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis comprising;
- a) administering a test agent suspected of affecting germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis to one of a pair of donor mammals;
- b) obtaining a graft of testis tissues from said pair of donor mammals and optionally maintaining said graft in a suitable culture medium until transplant;
- c) implanting said grafts under the skin of a recipient animal for a suitable time period under conditions where germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis occurs;
- and
- d) harvesting the grafts obtained from said donor mammal and comparing germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis in the treated grafts versus untreated grafts, thereby identifying agents which affect germ cell differentiation and/or spermatogenesis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.