Sperm Cells Made from Human Bone Marrow Samples

Researchers from the Universities of Gottingen and Munster and the Medical School of Hannovermanaged to make immature sperm cells from human bone marrow samples.

If scientists manage to grow these into fully developed sperm, this could be very important in fertility treatment. The researchers hope to achieve good results within five years.

However, the results of the study would be interpreted with caution, according to experts who proposed to impose a ban on using artificially created sperm in fertility treatments.

The study

German researchers isolated adult stem cells from bone marrow samples that were taken from men volunteers. Stem cells have the ability to develop into many types of tissue in the body.

The scientists induced some number of stem cells to develop in spermatagonial cells that are found in testicles and normally develop into mature sperm cells that can fertilize an egg cell. These are the first human spermatagonial cells made artificially from marrow.

This finding gives a hope that one day it will become possible to treat infertile young men by chemotherapy, according to lead researcher Professor Karim Nayemia at the England Stem Cell Institute.

Caution

The findings of the study are very promising, however there should be caution about the interpretation, according to professor Harry Moore of the Center for Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield.

Also the professor said that nearly all other observations of trans-differentiation in stem cells (trans-differentiation is changing of stem cell types from pre-muscle to pre-reproductive) had not been confirmed when tested rigorously.

The professor warned that induction of stem cells to develop into sperm might cause genetic changes in the sperm. This makes the cells unsafe to use in infertility treatments.

The findings of the study are published in Gamete Biology: Emerging Frontiers on Fertility and Contraceptive Development.