Science & Technology

Breakthrough as scientists create healthy mice with two fathers

By T.K. Randall
June 25, 2025 ·  3 comments

Image: Lab Mouse (illustrative)
Credit: Rama / CC BY-SA 2.0 (adapted) Recently we featured an article which asked the question - how long would it take for humans to become extinct if - for whatever reason - nobody could have children ?

This latest research from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China might hold the key to averting extinction entirely if such a scenario actually came about.

According to reports, scientists have been able to find a way to make it possible for mice to produce offspring from two parents of the same sex that can then themselves go on to have their own offspring.

To trial this method, the researchers created an embryo with the DNA of two male mice, then altered the chemical tags on the DNA to mimic female patterns using a method known as epigenetic programming.The egg was then placed inside a female mouse and allowed to grow.

While not every attempt was successful, the research ultimately produced two healthy mice capable of reproducing.

Crucially, the experiment shows that male and female DNA are not critical to an embryo's development.

"It confirms that genomic imprinting is the main barrier to uniparental reproduction in mammals and shows it can be overcome," said Dr. Helen O'Neill of University College London.

Whether this technique has the potential to work on humans, however, remains to be seen.

Source: Mashable | Comments (3)

Tags: Mice