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Newcastle scientists 'make medical history'

Scientists in Newcastle are claiming to have made medical history by creating human sperm in the laboratory.

The researchers said they had produced fully mature, functional cells which they called In-Vitro Derived (IVD) sperm.

The scientists, led by Professor Karim Nayernia at Newcastle University and the North East England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI), 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.

In research published today in the journal Stem Cells and Development, the Newcastle team say it will be at least five years before the technique is perfected. They also 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 the development would lead to a better understanding of why infertility happened in men, and what caused it.

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.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .