Science

Scientists Grow Mouse Sperm Out of Embryonic Stem Cells

Posted on August 5, 2011 at 5:15pm by Madeleine Morgenstern
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These baby mice were born from sperm created from stem cells by researchers in Japan. (Reuters)

Scientists in Japan announced Friday they have grown healthy mouse sperm out of embryonic stem cells, opening up new possibilities for treating human infertility.

Reuters reported:

Scientists at Kyoto University removed stem cells from mouse embryos and managed to coax them into a type of precursor cell known to grow into either mouse eggs or sperm.

They then transplanted these cells into the testes of infertile male mice — which apparently went on to produce healthy sperm.

“The sperm were removed directly from the testes and fertilized with eggs (on laboratory dishes),” said lead author Mitinori Saitou, a professor at Kyoto University’s department of anatomy and cell biology.

“After insemination, we made two set of embryos and these were transferred into the uterus of the foster mother and they derived healthy mice (that went on to reproduce normally).”

The announcement is a major advance for regenerative medicine, which looks to use stem cells to multiply and grow different types of tissue to treat diseases, including cancer, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

Saitou told the Wall Street Journal the team’s success breaks new ground for fertility research, but “we have a long way to go before it can be applied to humans.”

“Our work is still a purely scientific achievement using the mouse and the application of this work to human material involves a lot more work, time and ethical discussion,” he told the Daily Mail.

Because the success in creating sperm only applies to male infertility, Saitou said his next goal is to use embryonic stem cells to create fully-functioning eggs, something that would be a major achievement as the first advancement in restoring female fertility.

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Comments (34)

sWampy
Posted on August 8, 2011 at 11:33am
What is the purpose, are they going to kill off the stem cells dna, insert dna of the dad, then get them to mutate into sperm? It seems like a lot of trouble, if you just coaxed the stem cells to become sperm, you are just killing one baby to produce a slightly different baby.
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Cheetosareus
Posted on August 8, 2011 at 12:17am
What a relief…we will never run out of mice now.
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TX_45_ACP
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 5:55pm
Maybe they can help grow some spines and brain cells in the White House.
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☠ suʍop uɐsdn ☠
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 10:30am
Wow! If we every run low on mouse sperm we know where to get it! Gimme a break…..
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- Rightsofman
  Posted on August 7, 2011 at 1:30pm
  Why?
  Report Post »
affinnity
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 9:53am
I wonder how much money each of these baby mice cost the Japanese taxpayers to produce. Also, did any of this research money come from U.S. taxpayers through the IMF or Federal Reserve banking systems?
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wbaranowski
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 4:37am
Why didn’t they try it with adult mouse stem cells? They are more readily available, work better and, well, you know.
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wbaranowski
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 4:34am
Bush DIDN’T do it!
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dnewton
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 1:58am
Instead of re-creating sperm, how about insulin producing cells. It would be interesting to see if the cells could maintain their insulin producing capability.
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ying
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 1:00am
It has been known for MANY years that stem cells could be coaxed into growing sperm. The reason for this test is to see if the sperm could be transplanted successfully into the testes. They are also studying ways to make the sperm last more than 20 years. Why? They want to implant sperm in white baby males. I have been reading on this topic since before it was known publicly.
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- loriann12
  Posted on August 7, 2011 at 8:08am
  Is anyone else but me scared by this? this is beginning to sound like Hitler’s experiments. I’m reminded of the joke where the scientist bets God he can make a human and goes to grab a handful of dirt, but God tells him to get his own dirt.
  Report Post »
Wes in the Midwest
Posted on August 7, 2011 at 12:00am
When science gets into areas where it shouldn’t be ………it will always screw it up.
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peaches1
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:44pm
The feminists should be very happy.
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- ying
  Posted on August 7, 2011 at 1:02am
  Why would they be happy? There are right-wing matriarchists, you know? Not all are liberal feminists.
  Report Post »
VeggySoup
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 9:06pm
How did they grow Mitt Romney‘s and Obama’s sperm? That is amazing, did they have their permission? What can we do with it now?
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johnj1952
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 7:16pm
Uh? Yah,,, and,,,what the hell did you say?????
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- Secret Squirrel
  Posted on August 6, 2011 at 7:57pm
  .
  Great.
  Just what we need.
  More mice!
  Report Post »
Drakkhanlord
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:37pm
50″ years ago we had about an 8ft around circular hover craft,
1 man controlled. It flew , it worked ..it disappeared…
We have govt agencies , companies putting out innoculations that cause brain damage and sterility and death…our RX medicine is worse than the dam disease .
We have enforcement that can arrest , beat , taz ,kiII , anytime they dam well please.
We have 10′s of millions of illegals being given carte blance ,while the Citizens pay and yet ,
Most still trust that the People in charge will not lie, steal or kiII you …

Had all the Options …The Founders wrote it all down…
yet still made slaves of yourselves…
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Drakkhanlord
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:18pm
Clone wars , eugenics…what else will be new…

Why are there so many dam old people in politics …How do they live so dam long even with cancer and everything else…

might want to think abit…and not just be spoon fed
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HellAndBack
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 12:02pm
Its has always been my firm belief that Cellular Reasearch should be taken as far as we can go with it… God has the ability to stop us if we infringe on His domain. If we can create an entire existance by the force of our will alone… He might, MIGHT get concerned. America, we could be LEADING in this area and thereby setting the standards. Could anyone even imagine the hights we could reach if American Private Sector and Ingenuity (combined with curiousity) were applied to this field… we would have BioNanoBots replacing limbs by now.
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- snooop1e
  Posted on August 6, 2011 at 8:40pm
  Just because GOD doesn‘t interfere doesn’t make something right. We have free will……………
  Report Post »
- holy ghostbuster
  Posted on August 6, 2011 at 9:31pm
  Religion has held back scientific advancements for centuries.
  Report Post »
Nightjar
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 11:23am
Actually I see this kind of genetic research Tech nothing short of amazing if put to good use such as replicating missing or damaged body parts using one’s own genetic material.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you were going blind to get new eyes to see again? Or for the deaf to hear well?
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- lorgrom
  Posted on August 7, 2011 at 12:43pm
  You are correct, if it was only used for those kinds of purposes it would be great. But, we all know it won’t stop there. History has shown, man gets some new technology and then goes about finding new ways to abuse such technologies. Leading all the way to using those technologies to control every one else. It’s a sad fact of humanity and our biggest hurdle as a race, one I fear we will never get past.
  Report Post »
HumbleCitizen
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 11:14am
The farthest logical conclusion for this trainwreck is that (1st) common man will be rendered infertile (currently going on) this will creat a demand for “man seed” which will be tightly controlled by the government.
(2nd) when they perfect the same for eggs and can “grow” a baby in a cow or pig uterus then a human womb will no longer be necessary. The gov’t will control both male and female reproductive abilities (and DNA codes) and common people will be rendered sterile (good for the earth).
People who do create an unauthorized baby will be forced to abort. Babies will be VERY expensive (weeds out the riff-raff).
A good book to read is, “The Giver”.
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- lylejk
  Posted on August 7, 2011 at 1:41am
  Not sure but I believe controlled breeding was also part of “Brave New World” (been years since I read the book though; sad ending as I recall). :)
  Report Post »
- dnewton
  Posted on August 7, 2011 at 2:09am
  Should there be progressive taxation on the most desirable man seed? Shouldn’t those with the best seed pay more than their fair share? How would social justice come into play in this scenario if only a social elite are allowed to reproduce? How would we get all of that wonderful diversity I keep hearing about?
  Report Post »
Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:13am
And soon, a lesbian couple can have the stem cells of one given this treatment and then used to fertilize the eggs of the other.

Maybe even vice versa at the same time. They could both be pregnant and both deliver their children. It’s unlikely they would both go into labour at the same time, so there would likely be one to aid the other in delivery.

Don’t worry. Men will always be needed to go off to war, for vehicle maintenance, and smashing bugs.
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- HellAndBack
  Posted on August 6, 2011 at 11:57am
  They will still have to use male testies to turn the stem cells into “sperm” but the DNA should remain that of the donor. Oh, and I think women should be used in combat… someone should have to cook and clean. LOL j/k really
  Report Post »
- Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
  Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:59pm
  I‘m sure they’re working around that stem-cell –> sperm-cell requiring a testicle thing.
  Report Post »
- lylejk
  Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:49pm
  Something told me you would respond to this one LPHP. lol
  
  Maybe scientist will one day make men obsolete, but then you ladies won’t have anybody to complain about anymore. lol
  
  :)
  Report Post »
riverat1970
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:02am
so is this the moment in time when men are no longer needed for procreation?
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- Nightjar
  Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:49am
  Not in God’s eyes.
  As long as there is still LOVEand attraction, men and woman will still need each other. :)
  Report Post »
freightliner1160
Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:10am
First it was trans fats, then salt, then happy meals, now sex. Nosey mad lib scientist. Down with smart people.
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