# Developing human gonad organoids to promote germ cell differentiation

> **NIH NIH R21** · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $205,000

## Abstract

Summary
Germ cells are essential for the propagation of our species. Disruption of normal germ cell
differentiation and function can result in infertility and genetic disorders in the progeny of
affected individuals. However, many of the mechanisms that govern the formation and
function of germ cells remain poorly understood. Our long-term goal is to identify and
characterize pathways that regulate germ cell specific processes. However, the study of
human gametogenesis remains largely impractical because specific steps of the process
remain experimentally inaccessible. In addition, there are key differences between human
germ cells and those of other mammals including mice and rats, limiting the usefulness of
animal models for studying and manipulating specific aspects of human gametogenesis.
To overcome these obstacles, we propose to engineer a transformative and scalable
in vitro platform for reconstituting human gametogenesis. Towards this goal, we
seek to develop novel methods for driving human induced pluripotent stem (iPS)
cells to differentiate into every cell type found within human female gonads. Based
of evidence from experimental models, we anticipate mixing iPS cell-derived germ cells
with the appropriate combination of iPS cell-derived somatic support cells will promote
further steps in the process of gametogenesis. The successful completion of this proposal
will revolutionize the study of human reproduction and provide a scalable platform for
developing new therapies to treat infertility and prevent a broad range of genetic disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10475265
- **Project number:** 5R21HD105349-02
- **Recipient organization:** UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Buszczak
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $205,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10475265

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10475265, Developing human gonad organoids to promote germ cell differentiation (5R21HD105349-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10475265. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*