The technique could in 10 years allow researchers to use the basic knowledge of how sperm develop to design treatments to enable infertile men the chance to have biological children, said lead researcher Karim Nayernia, of Newcastle University, whose team earlier produced baby mice from sperm derived in a similar way.
The research, published in the journal Stem Cells and Development, was conducted by scientists at Newcastle and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute.
Stem cells can become any cell in the body, and scientists have previously turned them into a variety of new entities, including cells from the brain, pancreas, heart and blood vessels.
Some experts challenged the research, saying they weren't convinced Nayernia and his colleagues had actually produced sperm cells. Several critics also said the sperm cells they created were clearly abnormal.
"I am unconvinced from the data presented in this paper that the cells produced by Professor Nayernia's group from embryonic stem cells can be accurately called 'spermatazoa," said Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield.
Pacey said in a statement that the sperm created by Nayernia did not have the specific shape, movement and function of real sperm.
Azim Surani, a professor of physiology and reproduction at the University of Cambridge said the sperm produced by the Newcastle team were "a long way from being authentic sperm cells."
Nayernia said the cells "showed all the characteristics of sperm," but his group's intention was simply to "open up new avenues of research" with their early findings, rather than using the sperm to fertilize eggs.
Robin Lovell-Badge, a stem cell expert at the National Institute of Medical Research said that despite the questions raised, Nayernia and colleagues may have made some progress in obtaining human sperm from embryonic cells.
Nayernia said creating embryos from lab-manufactured sperm is banned by British law.
He said they only plan to produce sperm to study the reasons behind infertility, and will not fertilize any eggs.
Some lawmakers said provisions should be made to allow sperm derived from stem cells to be tested as part of potential fertility treatments.
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- groups:
- News, Current Tonight, Culture, Health, 2 more
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- oreo4sho
- added this
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just another excuse for woman to talk over the world. the war continues
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- deeblackangel
- 5 months ago
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it must have cost a fortune to do this. i could do it for much less, call me.
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You can't have Christmas without the decorative balls!
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Psh, I create like 50 million sperm everyday. True Story!
"PRIZE, PLEASE!!!" -Stephen Colbert
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- EmperorThan
- 4 months ago
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haha, human sperm
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I think we should be working harder at getting folks to only have 2 kids before we start jamming more ways into making more kids :P.
I know they poop its cute. I'll probably want kids sometime too, but damn folks...I know 10 families personally and 9 of them have over 4 kids.
I don't even mean like 1 kid every 5 years or something like that...5-8 kids all ass to ass in age. It's insanity.
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- theultimateend
- 4 months ago
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They're gonna have to create billions more sperm than just ONE - MEeh. And also why don't they try creating an actual man instead of a tiny man seed, uh k-. {jk that last sentence}
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Bio-Engineered Children........
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This is a little unnerving for me..
Artificial Children? -
Now will you leave me alone.You don't need me at all.
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...because there's such a lack of it in the world today?
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??
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- metalcookiesxy70
- 4 months ago
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"Nayernia said creating embryos from lab-manufactured sperm is banned by British law."
Who rained on that parade?
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why, i have an endless supply.
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- montesooma
- 4 months ago
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Well, this is gonna hurt... but when the government sends its healthiest young males
off to war decade after decade since 1965 Vietnam (Korea before that)THAT'S WHERE THE BEST SPERM HAS GONE.
DEATH TO THE SLAVES ! DEATH TO THEIR BEST SPERM !
SET UP THE NEED FOR SCIENTIST'S CLONING MALES BY WARS.
MAKE PEOPLE GET SICKER ON PURPOSE, DO IT FOR THE SCIENTISTS.
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- Gravity_Man
- 4 months ago
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