Germline transmission of cryopreserved mouse spermatogonial stem cells maintained on the International Space Station.

ABSTRACT: Despite growing interest in space exploration, the effects of spaceflight on stem cells remain largely unknown. Damages to germline cells are especially crucial, as spaceflight poses risks to gametogenesis, with abnormalities observed in multiple species. While embryonic stem (ES) cells show genomic instability after space exposure and have not yet produced offspring, this study demonstrates successful offspring production from cryopreserved mouse spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) stored on the International Space Station for 6 months. Spaceflight did not increase apoptosis or DNA damage in SSCs. After thawing, SSCs proliferated comparably to those cryopreserved on Earth, showing no significant phenotypic or functional differences. Offspring were produced via spermatogonial transplantation

SUBMITTER: Kanatsu-Shinohara M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12447337 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature