Natural Science Forum / Biology / Biology / April 2007

via bbc news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6547675.stm

Sperm made from human bone marrow

Scientists say they have successfully made immature sperm cells from
human bone marrow samples.

If these can be grown into fully developed sperm, which the
researchers hope to do within five years, they may be useful in
fertility treatments.

But experts have warned the findings from the German study should be
interpreted with caution at this very early stage.

And proposed new laws would ban their use in fertility treatments in
the UK.

The government's recent fertility White Paper proposes a ban on using
artificially created sperm or eggs in assisted reproduction.

The researchers from the Universities of Göttingen and Münster and the
Medical School of Hannover isolated adult stem cells - cells that have
the ability to become many types of tissue in the body - from bone
marrow samples taken from male volunteers.

Spermatagonial cells

Normally these stem cells from the bone marrow would develop into the
different cell types in muscle tissue.

But the researchers induced a small number of them to develop into
what appeared to be spermatagonial cells - cells found in the testes
which would normally develop into mature sperm cells.

This is the first time human spermatagonial cells have been made
artificially in this way.

And lead researcher Professor Karim Nayernia, now at the North-east
England Stem Cell Institute based at the Centre for Life in Newcastle
upon Tyne, said he hopes his investigations will mean he might one day
be able to treat young men rendered infertile by chemotherapy.

He said: "We're very excited about this discovery.

"Our next goal is to see if we can get the spermatagonial cells to
progress to mature sperm in the laboratory and this should take around
three to five years of experiments."

*

  Very interesting indeed, although we hardly need ways
  to breed MORE people. Far too many already, far too
  many more soon to come. The planet is only just SO
  big you know.

  However this does illustrate just how versatile stem
  cells can be, even non-embryonic varieties. Research
  like this that explores the mechanisms, possibilities
  and limits of stem cells will be of immense value to
  millions, maybe billions, a few years down the road.

  In the meanwhile, it is not unreasonable to ban the
  use of faux-sperm for fertility treatments. They may
  prove to be perfectly normal and functional, or they
  may have odd genetic quirks.

  The best form for the law would be as a renewable
  moratorium, something that has to come up for a vote
  every three or four years. If the sperm are viable,
  just do nothing and let the law sunset into oblivion.

  This approach makes sense for a large variety of
  bio-tech issues and is superior to a situation where
  a vote is necessary to eliminate the law - since
  political and religious extremists might apply undue
  pressure to block such a move despite general public
  opinion or medical need. Politicians will get far
  less trouble over doing nothing, letting the law
  expire, than they would for doing something by
  voting against it.