Shant and Gametogenesis

Vaհe H Apelian

Upper row: A copy of the header of the paper Shant Apelian co-authored.
Lowe row: Shant Apelian M.D., Eggs & Sperms, Shant with our grandsons=

Recently Shant Apelian M.D. posted on his Facebook page that he has a co-authored an article about gametogenesis. It is a new term for me, but it did not take me long to figure out what it meant. Gametes are: “the specialized reproductive cells, also known as sex cells, that fuse during sexual reproduction to create a new organism. In humans, the female gamete is the ovum (egg) and the male gamete is the sperm. These cells are haploid, meaning they each contain half the number of chromosomes of a normal body cell.”

“What if we could create eggs or sperm in the lab?” Asks Shant Apelian. The title of the article that Shant Apelian has co-authored in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Women’s Health, a paper, reads: “Our insight “In-vitro gametogenesis: redefining reproduction”.

Much, much progress has been made in biological sciences since my days. Among them is the groundbreaking venture into In Vitro Gametogenesis (ING), which is a process of creating eggs or sperm in a lab from other cells, like skin cells. Another field is the genetic decoding. Noubar Afeyan said that after decoding the Covid virus genome, it took Moderna 42 days to come with the Covid vaccine. In my days, producing vaccine was a very lengthy process that had to do with growing and harvesting, purifying attenuated virus.

Shant further commented and noted that “IVG is an advanced technique that holds genuine promise for widening reproductive possibilities and reshaping how we think about fertility and family-building. By making it possible to create gametes outside the body, IVG could expand possibilities beyond the traditional limits of the “biological clock.” Equally important is moving forward responsibly, guided at every step by strong safety evidence, transparent oversight, and a firm ethical framework. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Hugh Taylor and Dr. Eli Adashi, for their guidance and profound expertise in the field.”

His profile in Linkedin reads as follows: “ Postdoctoral Researcher in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Yale University, and  Former Health Field Officer at ICRC”. The latter acronym stands for “The International Committee of the Red Cross is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and promoting humanitarian norms.”

Shant Apelian was born and raised in Latakia, Syria. His father was born and raised in Keurkune, Kessab. His Armenian mother is native of Lattakia. His Facebook biography states that he attended Nahadagts Varjaran Armenian school in Lattakia, and graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Tishreen University in Lattakia as well. Prior his accepting the invitation to join Yale Medical School, Shant was affiliated with ICRC. During his affiliation with ICRC, he co-authored articles related to health care.

On a personal note, we had the pleasure of having him a family Christmas celebration. And when our grandsons were admitted to Yale on an emergency basis having been bitten by copper snake, Shant Apelian attended to them. 

Shant Apelian is a shining example of the contribution immigrants bring to the United States, although Shant is not an immigrant yet, but is on temporary work and study visa. 

We wish him much health and success.