Mice Produced Using Artificial Sperm

vasanth writes to tell us scientists have successfully grown mice from artificial sperm. The sperm was created from embryonic stem cells and implanted into female mice. There were a few problems, including that some of the mice showed abnormal patterns of growth and difficulty breathing. The hope here is to assist couples who are having difficulties with conception.

Re:wtf?

[flipsoft]

Actually it is a misconception that adoption is cheaper and easier. Average adoption costs are $12k US. Significantly more than the doctors bill for our first child. Also adoption, at least in the state of CA, is very dificult and requires 50+ hours of classes. Much more time invested then a couple hours at a bar and some drinks. ;)

No.

[Silent sound]

If you'll read the article, you'll see (emphasis mine):

"If we understand this we can treat infertility in men."

In the future, men with fertility problems might be able to have their own stem cells harvested using a simple testicular biopsy, matured in the lab and then transplanted back.

They are using embryonic stem cells because of the benefits that embryonic stem cells offer over other stem cells when doing research. It is clear that once they can get the procedure working with embryonic stem cells in mice, the next step will be to get it working with non-embryonic stem cells.

Re:They don't need us

[CosmeticLobotamy]

I hate to have to tell you this, but girls aren't passing you up because you're not aggressive or violent enough, it's because you're ugly, boring, or both. Sorry. If it makes you feel better, I'm right there with you.

Heh

[Silent sound]

Not so fast, it goes the other way too. Separate [washingtonpost.com] research [genet-info.org] is taking place in the meantime that involves turning donor cells into egg cells-- which would be the counterpart in fertility procedures to the artificial sperm procedure this article is about, and would also hypothetically make possible the conception of a baby with only males donating the biological material.

When a news article about such research cropped up last year, I saw people on the internet worrying about a science-fiction type scenario where the development could lead to a world devoid of women.

People get really paranoid about science...

Re:Help With Conception?!

[larkost]

While the article summary does mention "embryonic stem cells", it looks like the ones that they are actually working on are "permatogonial stem cells" which exist in adult males, and are the differentiated stem cells that eventually produce sperm. The big news here is that they convinced these cells to further differentiate into (semi) viable sperm cells outside the body.

The whole point of this research is to allow men who have viable "permatogonial stem cells" but have something wrong further along in the process to be able to have children. They would harvest these cells from the gonads, raise them in a petri dish (or something), and then impregnate the woman with them (probably artificial insemination).

Re:Female/Female Reproduction

[Grishnakh]

Yes, it sounds like this could be a really good thing for humans, by stopping evolution cold and keeping mutations out. The problem with evolution is that it's actually a bad thing for humans, because while we still have mutations and such, we no longer use natural selection to weed out the bad mutations. Instead of just allowing sick people to die, we save them with medicine, and they reproduce, making more people with serious genetic diseases.