Human sperm cells artificially created for first time

[China]

Human sperm cells artificially created for first time (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21550026-2,00.html)

April 13, 2007 11:55am


HUMAN sperm cells have been artificially created for the first time, offering hope to thousands of men with low sperm counts or who have been left infertile by cancer treatment.

German scientists said fully-functioning sperm cells could be manufactured within five years to use in in-vitro fertilisation.

Scientists took samples from the bone marrow of volunteers and isolated stem cells known as mesenchymal cells, which were then treated with vitamin A to transform them into primordial germ cells - the first stage in sperm production. Some were then further developed into advanced spermatagonial stem cells.

Prof Karim Nayernia, who carried out the research and is now studying how to make spermatagonial cells enter the final stage of development, said: "We are very excited about this discovery, particularly as our earlier work in mice suggests we could develop the work even further.

"If we could solve this problem, and I think it is possible, the next stage will be to produce functional sperm."

Click on the link for the full article

[Sisyphus]

Why did "German scientists" catch my attention in this article ... :doh::laugh:

[Oldskool]

Why did "German scientists" catch my attention in this article ... :doh::laugh:

And why did all the children conceived in this experiment have blonde hair and blue eyes? :laugh: :D

[Larry]

HUMAN sperm cells have been artificially created for the first time, offering hope to thousands of men with low sperm counts or who have been left infertile by cancer treatment.

And millions of Lesbians world wide. :)

[Oldskool]

And millions of Lesbians world wide. :)

They would still need a doner to provide genetic material for the cell to be created, so its no different than going to a sperm bank now.

Unless they were going to take the cells from their partner and create a cell with their material, but wouldn't that violate the ban on cloneing?

[PokerPacker]

And why did all the children conceived in this experiment have blonde hair and blue eyes? :laugh: :D
um... coincidence? :paranoid:

[Larry]

They would still need a doner to provide genetic material for the cell to be created, so its no different than going to a sperm bank now.

Unless they were going to take the cells from their partner and create a cell with their material, but wouldn't that violate the ban on cloneing?

It would only be (kind of) cloning if the donor was also the mother.

Yeah, I thought of it. And I'd say that, AFAIK, there's no law against it. (Yet.)

After all, how many jurisdictions do you figure that have prohibited people from getting themselves pregnant? (Although I'm certain that the GOP will soon figure out a way they can use it for fundraising, by promising to protect us from this imminent threat.)

[Oldskool]

It would only be (kind of) cloning if the donor was also the mother.

Yeah, I thought of it. And I'd say that, AFAIK, there's no law against it. (Yet.)

After all, how many jurisdictions do you figure that have prohibited people from getting themselves pregnant? (Although I'm certain that the GOP will soon figure out a way they can use it for fundraising, by promising to protect us from this imminent threat.)

And the Democrats will find someway to raise campaign dollars by promising to find a way to constitutionally guarantee our right to create spare clones of ourselves to harvest organs from. :rolleyes:

This isn’t about politics. I’m not even talking ethics right now.

[Larry]

And the Democrats will find someway to raise campaign dollars by promising to find a way to constitutionally guarantee our right to create spare clones of ourselves to harvest organs from. :rolleyes:

This isn’t about politics. I’m not even talking ethics right now.

No, no, no. You need to get the word "choice" in there.

(And you're right, I didn't intend this thread to be about politics. I intended it to be about jokes.)

[techboy]

One of my sister's best friends from high school is a vegeterian lesbian rabbi who has a baby with her partner (wife? There was a "marriage" service), which pregnancy she herself carried to term.

I didn't ask any more than that. I didn't want to know. :)

[Shadowplay]

This is how the clone wars REALLY begin.....

[twa]

People are starving,kids going w/o foster parents,disease is rampant and this is a priority to some researcher?

[twa]

Great. Now the Lesbians don't need me anymore . . . :(

They still do IF they want a boy :laugh:

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2444462.ece
Creating sperm from women would mean they would only be able to produce daughters because the Y chromosome of male sperm would still be needed to produce sons. The latest research brings the prospect of female-only conception a step closer.

[SkinsOrlando]

Does this mean women can give themselves a pearl necklace?

[DjTj]

People are starving,kids going w/o foster parents,disease is rampant and this is a priority to some researcher?I don't think we're allowed to complain about peoples' priorities when we spend all our time on a football message board ... Besides, artificial sperm could cure all those things once we have a clone army to work on our farms, raise our foster kids, and cure diseases.

They still do IF they want a boy :laugh:
I may be wrong about this, but I think one fundamental characteristic of being a lesbian is not wanting boys.

[twa]

I don't think we're allowed to complain about peoples' priorities when we spend all our time on a football message board ... Besides, artificial sperm could cure all those things once we have a clone army to work on our farms, raise our foster kids, and cure diseases.

It's my post and I'll ***** if I wanna :silly:

On a serious note the ability to manipulate adult stem cells in such a manner would put a end to the need for embryonic cells...the Pro-lifers approve ;)

I may be wrong about this, but I think one fundamental characteristic of being a lesbian is not wanting boys.

But then who would they have to emasculate? :D :silly: