Scientists Create Human Sperm:

Well I was watching the news [ had to see if my mega million numbers hit, they didn't ].

Anyway they said that scientists created human sperm from like a stem cell or something or were really close.

Is there going to be no need for man?

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1909164,00.html

Wednesday, Jul. 08, 2009
Scientists Create Human Sperm from Stem Cells
By Alice Park

Researchers at Newcastle University in England report they have coaxed the first human sperm cells from embryonic stem cells, in a remarkable demonstration of how quickly the field of stem-cell science is moving.

The achievement, described in the journal Stem Cells and Development, comes just 11 years after the first human-embryonic-stem-cell line was created — an eyeblink in scientific terms — in the lab of James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin. (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2008.)

Although the development once again raises the specter of creating humans in a petri dish or custom-designing egg and sperm cells for reproduction, lead author Karim Nayernia says that was not his team's intention. Rather, the experiment was a proof of concept that stem cells can generate any cell in the body — not only the dozens of tissues that make up the human body but also those egg and sperm cells that may give rise to altogether new bodies. "Other cell types don't generate the next generation," says Nayernia, a professor of stem-cell biology at Newcastle University. "This makes a very big difference between our study and the study of other cell types from embryonic stem cells."

Nayernia's in vitro–derived sperm, or IVD sperm, are not exactly like naturally occurring sperm, though they do bear four important similarities to the cells created in the testes. They contain half the number of chromosomes of other human cells (somatic cells contain 46 chromosomes, but egg and sperm cells have only 23, since they combine their genetic payloads during fertilization); they possess a head and a tail; they contain proteins essential for activating the egg during fertilization; and they swim, or move as sperm do in seeking out eggs to fertilize.

On the outside, however, IVD sperm are not identical to normal sperm. "We think, for normal structure development, sperm needs the testes environment," says Nayernia. It takes 15 to 16 years in the testes before the primordial germ cells that morph into spermatogonia, or a primitive precursor of the germ cells, are able to mature into sperm cells that can successfully fertilize an egg. (See the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2008.)

IVD sperm are not ready for transplantation into human patients — in any case, British law prohibits their transplantation into people — but they may provide valuable clues to the causes of male infertility. Nayernia's group is now working on creating sperm from the skin cells of infertile men (the sperm cells in the current study were generated from embryos discarded by fertility clinics), and by studying the way those sperm develop, researchers may gain insight into the origins of infertility and potential new treatments. Theoretically, for example, if sperm could be created from the cells of a cancer patient who is rendered infertile by chemotherapy, they could be grown in a lab and still enable him to father children.

"This area has potential powerful clinical applications mixed with people's concerns over embryo research," says Insoo Hyun, a bioethicist at Case Western Reserve University who specializes in stem-cell-related ethical issues. "All the ingredients are there for a really, really lively ethical debate."

For now, the IVD cells allow researchers to witness the normal development of sperm for the first time. "In the human, sperm development is a very long process," Nayernia says. "It takes more than 15 years and is not an accessible system. With this system, we can now watch that development in three months."

That's how long it took Nayernia's team to nurture sperm from embryonic stem cells, using a special cocktail of growth factors, nutrients and retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A. It is worth noting that researchers could generate IVD sperm only from male embryos; when they tried using stem cells from a female embryo, they were unable to get sperm to mature past the spermatogonial stage. That suggests that genes located on the Y chromosome, which female cells do not contain, may be essential for triggering the maturation of the primitive sperm cell.

It's unclear whether IVD sperm may eventually be able to fertilize an egg successfully — the ultimate measure of similarity between IVD sperm and normal sperm. (Nayernia is currently testing whether mouse eggs fertilized with IVD sperm can lead to a healthy animal.) If the researcher can generate human IVD sperm that look like normally developed sperm and can get the artificially created germ cells to fertilize an egg, then he can allow the resulting embryo to develop for 14 days — according to U.K. law, embryos created for research purposes must be destroyed at that point. "We would need to study that embryo before we provide any clinical applications," he says.

That might seem more like science fiction than reality, but given the pace of stem-cell research, it may not be that far off. "We have the potential therapeutic use of a technology that pushes the boundaries of what people feel comfortable with ethically," says Hyun. With more advances like this one likely to come in months if not weeks, that comfort level will have to catch up quickly.



...if this is wrong section etc. I am sorry feel free to delete or contact me.

 

My question is: Why the fuck is our government spending our money on this bullshit when our schools are struggling to pay teachers.

 

Lol right sythe, theres no need for them to be paid so much

 

Nothing overly surprising here. You have a basic cell that has DNA, and you basically just cut it in half. Add some cell structure and you got a full functioning sperm.

I don't see this research as anything with any long-term implications.

Private institutions offer comparable pay rates.

 

The things you can do with science now is amazing, who knows what will be happening in 20-30 years.

 

Yeah I don't think this is right. Why make sperm when humans already have it?

But this could also be beneficial. If they genetic engineer the cell, they might be able to cure all sorts of diseases like that cancer-free baby in England.

 

All I got to say is: Guy's get ready the Women are trying to take us all out!

 

I think in 20-30 years I will be living in a nice house after winning the megamillions and have 6 clones. 1 for each chore =]

 

lol there wont even be houses youll just close your eyes and end up where ever you want cause the Freackin technology these days lol

 

Why would the government waste cash for something most men would make for a $5 magazine or a women that's cheap?


Anyways, teachers have to put up with ALOT OF SHIT during the school year, that's why they get paid what they get paid.

 

I agree that teachers do have to withstand much work. I'm sure that it changes with different schools, and states/places, but I had a really cool U,S History teacher that told us that he had about a $36K salary.

 

No one can make sperm? Are you joking?

 

Stem cells are easily manipulated cells.
It's not really a surprise.
And actually, there should be more money invested into stem cell research..
They can be turned into many other cells as well, which could prove useful to many different ecological problems.

 

Scientist don't have to use stem cells to create sperm cells.

Fail.

 

Yeah I meant they're giving budget cuts to schools, while making some stupid sperm clone. It just doesn't make sense to me. Really shows how the government values education.

 

Alternatively, if the pay really was that great, you'd find a high demand of people wanting to become one. More people willing would means less pay they are willing to take, etc etc.

Wow, pretty off topic though ^^

Well, in comparison with the average college graduate, the annual salary is comparable. On a per-hour basis, they are significantly higher, but I guess you have to keep in mind the extra stress/education degree.

 

I don't know about the US, but here teachers get paid relatively the same regardless of whether or not it is a private institution.

In any case, I don't believe the general public particularly cares. And if people do care, it's likely to have bad reception - Things such as artificial birth or artificial sperm even tend to scare humans or provoke some other feeling against artificiality in a human.