Fresh Eggs: The Human Kind

Ronald Bailey | April 14, 2009

Chinese stem cell researchers have overturned one of the bedrock doctrines of mammalian biology*--that every female mammal (including homo sapiens) is born with all the eggs she's ever going to have and that one day she'll run out them. Running out is called menopause for female members of  homo sapiens. As the Washington Post reported yesterday:

In a provocative set of experiments involving mice, Chinese researchers have shown for the first time that an adult mammal can harbor primitive cells in her ovaries that can become new eggs and produce healthy offspring, they reported yesterday.

While much more research is needed to confirm and explore the findings, the work raises the tantalizing possibility that it could someday lead to new ways to fight a woman's biological clock, perhaps by stockpiling her egg-producing cells or by stimulating them to make eggs again.

Essentially the researchers searched through the ovaries of old mice for what looked like stem cells; tagged them with a gene for green fluorescence so they could be tracked; implanted them into younger female mice where they did indeed become fresh eggs. The researchers even produced baby mice using these eggs. If this technology can be made to work safely in women, it would give them the same reproductive life spans as most men have. 

 *Biological "doctrines" get overturned all the time. Remember way back to 1997 when cloning a mammal was supposedly impossible? 

Comments

Paul|4.14.09 @ 3:15PM|#

lead to new ways to fight a woman's biological clock

Thank you. No really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

High Every Body|4.14.09 @ 3:19PM|#

Offspring?
Ya gotta Keep 'Em Separated.

|4.14.09 @ 3:24PM|#

Essentially the researchers searched through the ovaries of old mice for what looked like stem cells; tagged them with a gene for green fluorescence so they could be tracked; implanted them into younger female mice where they did indeed become fresh eggs. The researchers even produced baby mice using these eggs. If this technology can be made to work safely in women, it would give them the same reproductive life spans as most men have.

But won't the babies glow in the dark like this?*

* I know it's N/A. It's just been awhile since I linked to the glow in the dark cats. Sue me.

Professor N. Maryanne|4.14.09 @ 3:25PM|#

Wow, MILF porn just got even hotter.

|4.14.09 @ 3:32PM|#

"These eggs are good."

"They're fresh--right out of my body and on to your plate, eh!"

phalkor|4.14.09 @ 3:38PM|#

Sue me

Is that an open invitation?

EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy|4.14.09 @ 3:38PM|#

Lets hear it for incremental progress. Lots and lots of ongoing, incremental progress.

Hip, hip, Hurray!
Hip, hip, Hurray!

For they're some jolly good fellows, for they're some jolly good fellows...

Makes me wonder if I shouldn't have gone into medicine, or at least biophysics.

mi coño es su coño|4.14.09 @ 3:45PM|#

""They're fresh--right out of my body and on to your plate, eh!""

One of the funniest skits on TV ever.

|4.14.09 @ 3:49PM|#

I'm curious about having my own clone. Anyone know who I can contact to look into this?
Insane transhumanists are okay, as long as they know what they are doing.

|4.14.09 @ 3:53PM|#

One of the funniest skits on TV ever.

"Don't you...ladies...think you've had enough?"

"We can drink anything we want! We're FREAKS!!!"

Fowler\'s Modern English Usage|4.14.09 @ 3:55PM|#

Elegant* variation alert:

In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved only 19 new drugs, the lowest number since 1983. Last year saw a minor uptick to just 24 new medicines.

*And not in a nice way.

Jeff P|4.14.09 @ 4:14PM|#

So what did the catholic church do when it found out women had eggs that went unfertilized? Seriously, that had to be a problem for them. If condoms are ethically equivilent to abortions, where do unfertilized eggs fall?

|4.14.09 @ 4:20PM|#

Hazel,

I recall the Urkobold mentioning this last year. Yes, Google is my friend--here it is:

Urkobold™ | January 23, 2008, 3:05pm | #
URKOBOLD LABS, LLC, IS DEVELOPING CLONED MEAT OF THE URKOBOLD. ONCE SUCCESSFUL, THE URKOBOLD WILL MAKE AND CONSUME A HAGGIS MADE OF HIS OWN CLONED INNARDS. WITH A NICE SCOTCH CHASER AND SOME FAVA BEANS.

Is that too insane for you?

Fowler\'s Modern English Usage|4.14.09 @ 4:23PM|#

Oops, wrong thread. Fowler's bad.

|4.14.09 @ 4:33PM|#

Jeff P,

What's the Church's official position on masturbation? As I recall, the only place it's addressed at all in the Bible is in Genesis and Onan's act of disobedience in spilling his seed. I believe that biblical scholars pretty much agree these days that Onan didn't get in trouble with God for spilling his seed but for not putting it where God told him to put it--namely, in his brother's widow.

VM|4.14.09 @ 4:36PM|#

Jeff P: they panic, but then they get "icked" out by sex (presumably cuz their first experience involved a candle and lots of backhair), so balance is restored.

Dello|4.14.09 @ 4:37PM|#

I don't care about the "same reproductive life spans as most men have."

Just stop the hot flashes.

mi coño es su coño|4.14.09 @ 4:37PM|#

"where do unfertilized eggs fall?"

Into the toilet.

Too Many Jews|4.14.09 @ 4:40PM|#

@Urkobold™

You gonna eat that cloned taint?

Thread Jack|4.14.09 @ 4:46PM|#

Spokane parks to detonate squirrels:

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_detonating_squirrels.html

EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy|4.14.09 @ 5:01PM|#

"But in a humane way."

Hehehehe.

That's just wrong. I can't help laughing, but come on.

In this instance, "humane" seems to mean "we can't see any suffering".

And, no, I don't have a better solution to offer. Foxes, ferrets, and owls would work, but they aren't any less cruel, just natural.

|4.14.09 @ 5:03PM|#

Detonate squirrels? The paper got it right--that's straight out of Caddyshack, except with squirrels.

robc|4.14.09 @ 5:05PM|#

Biological "doctrines" get overturned all the time. Remember way back to 1997 when cloning a mammal was supposedly impossible?

No. And I remember 1997.

To Many Jews|4.14.09 @ 5:18PM|#

"The parks department is warning area residents that it plans to blast squirrels all week"

Pure journalistic gold!

the uterus|4.14.09 @ 5:23PM|#

Um, I don't think menopause is caused by running out of eggs. It has to do with a decrease in estrogen production.

|4.14.09 @ 5:38PM|#

the uterus, Reason isn't famous for its grasp of teh sciences. Just for creating feeding frenzies among its H&R crazies.

Jason Imboden|4.14.09 @ 5:49PM|#

This is very interesting. My wife has premature ovarian failure and something like this could possibly lead to a cure for it.

Esther T. Oldmaid |4.14.09 @ 5:57PM|#

Well tie my tubes! Can't a honest woman go barren these days?

Tacos mmm...|4.14.09 @ 8:16PM|#

The researchers even produced baby mice using these eggs. If this technology can be made to work safely in women, it would give them the same reproductive life spans as most men have.

Well, almost. Pregnancy demands a lot from the body physically, so many of the generally debilitating effects of aging could be significant. I've seen women in their 60's impregnated by IVF, and it's not an easy or particularly safe pregnancy.

jtuf|4.14.09 @ 9:40PM|#

Pro Libertate | April 14, 2009, 4:33pm | #

Jeff P,

What's the Church's official position on masturbation? As I recall, the only place it's addressed at all in the Bible is in Genesis and Onan's act of disobedience in spilling his seed. I believe that biblical scholars pretty much agree these days that Onan didn't get in trouble with God for spilling his seed but for not putting it where God told him to put it--namely, in his brother's widow.

The way I learned that passage, Onan's sin was neglect. His wife wanted a child, but he refused to conceive with her. If a husband decides he doesn't want to conceive with his wife even though she wants to conceive, he should offer her a divorce.

jtuf|4.14.09 @ 9:45PM|#

I'm glad that people will soon have one more reproductive option, even if the pessimist in me predicts that the government-educational complex will find a way to take any practicle benefits people might derive from this technology.

Abdul|4.15.09 @ 8:20AM|#

Kerry Howley just found her retirement plan.

Scooby|4.16.09 @ 11:46AM|#

Just what the Chinese need- a way to extend the reproductive life of their population.