Scientists claim to have created sperm using embryonic stem cells. From the story:
Researchers led by Professor Karim Nayernia at Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) developed a new technique that allows the creation of human sperm in the laboratory. They stressed that the sperm, developed from stem cells with XY chromosomes (male), would not be used for fertility treatment, as this is prohibited by British law and in any case is not their main interest…
He said more investigation was needed to decide whether the so-called in-vitro derived (IVD) sperm, could be used as a fertility treatment, for example for boys who became infertile after receiving chemotherapy for cancer.
Of course, we should take this with a large grain of salt. We have no idea if these “sperm” would be fertile or would have normal chromosomal capability. Indeed, the scientists say these “sperm” probably wouldn’t function properly as gametes.
But if this area of research pans out over time–and as a fertility treatment cloning would be required since using other embryos would be the equivalent genetically of using cells from an unrelated sperm donor–embryos could one day be created in order to be destroyed so that infertile men and lesbians could father children with the sperm created from the cells of destroyed cloned embryos. Ironic, n’est ce-pas? It makes me dizzy.
July 8th, 2009 | 8:26 am
If they aren’t interested in using it as a fertility treatment, then why the need for further research on those possibilities? (Anyone? …Bueller?) The press seems to have rolled over and played dead.
I do love the look on the face of the guy in the picture.
July 8th, 2009 | 8:28 am
Oh, I know why he looks so glum, maybe he doesn’t know how to swim!!
July 8th, 2009 | 9:53 am
Oh, CollegeGoyl, you make me feel my age. That’s Woody Allen from his old movie Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask. I used to be a big fan but went off him cold turkey when he started sleeping with his girl friend’s daughter.
July 8th, 2009 | 12:33 pm
Sorry! I do know who Woody Allen is even if I don’t recognize him by sight. I live in a bit of a pop culture cave anyway, so don’t feel bad.
July 8th, 2009 | 2:20 pm
The end result of this research should have nothing at all to do with cloning. Embryonic stem cells may have been used this time around, but similar research has been done with adult stem cells. I’m fairly certain that any practical fertility applications will also end up using adult stem cells. Making clones just to derive sperm adds another layer of complexity and uncertainty to the process.
This technique has already been “successful” with mice, but as you might expect, only a third of of the fertilized eggs were viable, a mere tenth of those embryos resulted in live births, and then not a one lived more than five months. We will see trials done with humans within a few years, no doubt. I only hope the animal trials are perfected first, because the ill effects seem just as bad as with cloning. Even then, I expect unnecessary human suffering.
July 28th, 2009 | 4:39 pm
[...] I reported earlier here at SHS about a published paper in which scientists claimed to have made sperm from embryonic stem cells. That paper has now been retracted. From the story: [...]
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