Reassembly of somatic cells and testicular organogenesis in vitro.

Testicular organogenesis in vitro requires an environment allowing a reassembly of testicular cell types. Previous in vitro studies using male murine germ cells cultured in a defined three-dimensional environment demonstrated tubulogenesis and differentiation into spermatozoa. Combining scaffolds as artificial culture substrates with testicular cell culture, we analysed the colonization of collagen sponges by rat testicular cells focusing on cell survival and reassembly of tubule-like-structures in vitro.

Fact or fiction: In vitro spermatogenesis.

Many previous studies have aimed at spermatogenesis of male murine germ cells in vitro, but no efficient system has been established yet that covers the entire process of mammalian spermatogenesis in a culture dish permanently. In this review, we report on the requirements of spermatogenesis and the current state of different culture methods using testicular tissue fragments, single cell suspensions or three-dimensional culture environments.