Beijing: Science has once again achieved an unprecedented feat by breaking the established limits of nature. Scientists at Jiaotong University in China have created a rat, which is born from the DNA of only two male rats. In this process, neither any egg was used, nor any female rat – this miracle was made possible through only two sperm cells. This unique experiment was successful and the most important thing was that the rat born is completely healthy and is also capable of reproduction.
This study has been published in the prestigious scientific journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) on 23 June 2025 and it is being considered a revolutionary discovery in genetic engineering and reproductive science.
🔬 How was this miracle possible?
In this experiment, scientists took the help of epigenetic reprogramming instead of traditional methods. In this, the methylation pattern was edited – this is the process that controls the functioning of DNA, but does not change the gene sequence.
For the experiment, sperm from two different male mice were selected – one from a mouse raised in a laboratory and the other from a wild mouse breed of Thailand.
First its original genome was removed from an egg, then DNA from two sperm cells was inserted into it.
The methylation of one of these sperms was made female-like, so that the embryo could develop.
The embryo prepared with this technique was implanted in the womb of a female mouse, which gave birth to three live baby mice. One of these died due to abnormal size, but two survived and one of them was also successful in reproducing.
📚 20 years of research, success for the first time
In 2004, Japanese scientists had succeeded in producing offspring from two female mice, but the attempt to produce offspring from two males had failed till now.
A similar experiment was conducted in 2018, but the mouse born from it died within a day. This time Chinese scientists did methylation editing instead of gene deletion, due to which the embryo remained more balanced, healthy and long-lived.
🧬 What did science get from this discovery?
Professor Helen O’Neill of University College London says that this experiment proved that genomic imprinting was the only major obstacle, which can now be crossed.
This discovery shows that natural DNA rules can be changed with the help of science. That is, the chemical marks which were considered necessary from the DNA of both mother and father can now be prepared artificially in the lab.
🚫 Will this experiment be possible on humans?
At present the answer is – no. Scientists have made it clear that this technique cannot be applied to humans.
Its success rate is extremely low
Thousands of eggs are needed
A large number of surrogate mothers are needed
It is also a highly ethical and socially sensitive matter
According to Christophe Galich, a researcher at Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, “It is not only impossible to conduct this experiment on humans at the moment, but it is also extremely ethically complex.”
🚀 Future possibilities
Although this experiment on humans is a distant dream, this success can open new avenues in many areas:
New hope in the treatment of infertility
Advanced reproductive technology in animal husbandry
Reviving extinct species
Possibility of creating life with limited resources during space travel
Development of cloning technology
📝 Conclusion:
It is not easy to challenge the natural rules, but Chinese scientists have done it. Without a female, it has become possible to create a new life with just two male DNA. Even though it may not be useful for humans, this discovery is a historic milestone in the world of science.
