Stem cell model allows researchers to explore the earliest stages of sex determination in mice and humans
During embryonic development, two different cascades of genetic signals determine whether the embryo's primordial gonad will become testes or ovaries, and thus whether the embryo will develop into a male or a female. Disruptions in this process cause disorders in sexual development characterized by a mismatch between sex-determining chromosomes, gonads (ovaries or testicles) and the anatomy of the genitals. The incompatibility can be expressed in many and varied forms, such as unclear genitalia or a combination of male and female physiological characteristics. This medical condition is termed Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) with a prevalence of 1 in 4,500 newborns.