Sperm Doctor Makes Important Fertility Breakthrough
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World’s first laboratory sperm could solve male infertility.
A team of scientists in the UK have created the world’s first laboratory sperm which could eventually help solve the problem of male infertility.
The scientists based at the North East England Stem Cell Institute in Newcastle took stem cells from undeveloped human embryos and from there grew mature sperm capable of reproduction. Although the process was complicated and took up to six weeks to bring to fruition, in essence, the stem cells were stored in liquid nitrogen before being defrosted and fed a chemical mixture to stimulate growth.
After being tagged with a genetic marker, the cells underwent meiosis, halving the number of chromosomes and creating the male sperm. According to the team in Newcastle the sperm were mobile and fully matured.
In an interview with the BBC, leading stem cell world expert Professor Karim Nayernia said: “This is an important development as it will allow researchers to study in detail how sperm forms and lead to better understanding of infertility in men – why it happens and what is causing it.”
Mr Nayernia said that the research could be developed to allow infertile couples to produce children which are genetically their own.
The research should also: “allow scientists to study how cells involved in reproduction are affected by toxins, for example, why young boys with leukaemia who undergo chemotherapy can become infertile”.
The research has been levelled with criticism however, with some sperm experts raising doubts as to exactly what has been achieved by the Newcastle team, and if the created sperm was fully functioning. Still others have questioned the morality of “destroying” healthy embryos to attempt to create sperm.
Not that I’m against stem cell research at all, I feel it poses a breakthrough for many neuromuscular conditions. The article does leave me thinking about the possibility of using sperm from this research to grow a human whose parent or parents have never even been born. Now there’s a conundrum for you.
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What is the name of a doctor which you see about sperm and your health?
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Can you get pregnant if the semen touches the outside of your vagina and maybe a little bit went inside and came in contact with the vaginal fluid?
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