Researchers in Tuebingen, Germany, investigated the possibility of isolating stem cells from human testicular parenchyma and whether those cells could them be differentiated into the different tissues of the three human germ layers: mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm.
Tissues were collected from orchiectomy specimens and cultured according to protocols specific to particular differentiation. The resulting ?precurser cells? were then transplanted in utero in adult nude mice to test potency.
The study shows positive results, as the cells differentiated spontaneously into derivatives of all three primary germ layers, indicating that spermatogonial stem cells derived from adult testicular parenchyma could be a promising tool in reconstructive urology.