Researchers achieve male fertility breakthrough

November 15, 2011 in Medical research

A Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researcher has achieved a significant breakthrough in male fertility, producing normal sperm from mouse cells.

"This study may open new therapeutic strategies for who cannot generate sperm and/or pre-pubertal cancer patients at risk of infertility due to aggressive chemo- or radiotherapy and cannot cryopreserve sperm as in adult patients," explains Prof. Mahmoud Huleihel, of BGU's Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The article was just published online in Nature's Asian Journal of Andrology, and according to the authors is "the first original report revealing the generation of morphologically normal spermatozoa from mouse testicular ." It outlines the generation of spermatozoa from mouse testicular germ cells under in vitro culture.

Huleihel and his team used a three-dimensional Soft Agar Culture System (SACS) to generate the sperm. Previously, Huleihel pioneered the use of SACS for spermatogenesis in vitro.

The study was performed in cooperation with Prof. Eitan Lunenfeld, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, and Prof. Stefan Schlatt, University of Münster, Münster, Germany. It was partially supported by a grant from the German–Israel Foundation.

More information: http://www.nature. … 011112a.html

Provided by American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev search and more info website

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cyberCMDR
Nov 16, 2011

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Imagine the next step here, generating viable germ cells from any adult cell. That would have the potential to change everything. China would be distributing eggs derived from all their athletes and geniuses to whichever family wanted them, making the mother's genetic contribution irrelevant. Every man could have children whose other "parent" was a star in some field of endeavor. Other nations would have to do the same to keep up, or to improve their competitive edge. There would be a black market in cell samples from movie stars. Lots of possible repercussions, if that next step happens.
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germ cells, mouse cells, male fertility, infertile men, spermatozoa, adult patients, spermatogenesis, therapeutic strategies, cancer patients, radiotherapy, chemo, sperm, cells
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