Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Sperm can be created in a lab, a research

This is astonishing news. A French company declared having succeeded to create human sperm in a laboratory setting.


The researchers belonging to Kallistem laboratory extracted immature spermatogonia from infertile men, and transformed it into mature sperm in vitro. This procedure had been performed in mice, but this is the first successful report in human.

Mail Online: World first as SPERM is grown in a lab for the first time: Scientists claim breakthrough could give hope to infertile men

The Independent: Sperm created in lab in world first, French company claims

If this technique is realized, many infertile men will receive great benefit. The potential profit is estimated to reach 1,700,000,000 GBP in a year. In addition, the findings can be a key to finding out the secret of reproduction of animals.

However, this result has not been published in peer-reviewed journals yet. For that reason, some researchers are skeptical of this success. I thin it is natural as an attitude of scientists. Companies sometimes exaggerate their outcome, intentionally or unintentionally. Deliberate clinical trials are needed, as Kallistem said. Antecedent to them, double-checks by the researchers all over world will be done in such an innovative finding. They need a published article in which the procedure is described in detail.

In the case of STAP cell reported by Obokata in Japan, her result was proven not to be trustworthy with many deficits in the procedure. In terms of this issue, growing the spermatogonia in vitro itself is not a fantastic phenomenon. So, it is possible to be true, I think.

My past entry: Cheating case in science (1)

My past entry: Issue about fabrication of research

I hope this technology is feasible. And many men suffering from infertility will be saved.

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