Scientists create 'human sperm' from stem cells
- 00:03:12
- ITN
Scientists create 'human sperm' from stem cells
British scientists claim they have made medical history by creating human sperm in a laboratory. Researchers in Newcastle say they had produced fully mature, functional cells called In-Vitro Derived sperm. But other experts have cast doubt on the claim, arguing that the cells do not constitute "authentic" sperm. The scientists, led by Professor Karim Nayernia at Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute, created the sperm from human embryonic stem cells. The cells were observed to split and divide and then eventually push out a tail and begin to move. But Professor Azim Surani from Cambridge University added: "These sperm-like cells made in a dish from embryonic stem cells are a long way from being authentic sperm cells." Dr Allen Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, added: "As a sperm biologist of 20 years' experience, I am unconvinced from the data presented in this paper that the cells produced can be accurately called spermatozoa." Professor Robin Lovell Badge, from the Medical Research Council Institute of Medical Research, said the Newcastle scientists had not produced robust evidence that the human sperm they created was normal. Prof Nayernia's team called for the introduction of laws "sooner rather than later" to control how the research is used. The scientists stressed they had made no attempt to fertilise human eggs with the sperm. Prof Nayernia said: "While we can understand that some people may have concerns, this does not mean that humans can be produced 'in a dish' and we have no intention of doing this. "This work is a way of investigating why some people are infertile and the reasons behind it. If we have a better understanding of what's going on it could lead to new ways of treating infertility."
ITN | July 8, 2009
