Scientists Create Lab-Grown Sperm!

* A breakthrough that could help infertile men have biological children Scientists created lab-grown sperm by successfully simulating the environment found in testicles with the jelly in a Petri dish — a “breakthrough in male fertility,” they say.

Researchers in Germany and Israel were able to extract germ cells – those found in testicles — from mice, and use them to create actual sperm, which turned out healthy and structurally similar to natural mouse sperm. If the technique works for humans, too, the advancement would allow infertile men to father their own children without the aid of donor sperm.

“This is an amazing development that could
revolutionize fertility treatment and allow every
man to be a natural father,” said fertility expert
Stephen Gordon, according to the Telegraph.
Male infertility is a growing problem affecting
about 15% of couples today, according to the
American Urological Association. The landmark
development provides hope to men who want to
have biological children.

“Infertile men naturally want to be the father of
their child but at present have to accept that
can’t happen. With the mouse discovery, that
could now be a possibility,” Gordan said.
Scientists behind the study, which was published in the Asian Journal of Andrology, say producing human sperm could still be a long way away.

“It has taken us several years to reach this stage,
so a technique to create human sperm won’t
come overnight,” said study researcher Mahmoud Huleihel, in a statement.

“I believe it will eventually be possible to routinely grow human male sperm to order by extracting tissue containing germ cells from a man’s testicle and stimulating sperm production in the laboratory.”