In medical news…
Japanese researchers have reproduced sperm in an effort to better understand the process of spermatogenesis and possibly help increase infertile men’s abilities to naturally reproduce.
During numerous experiments, test tube-created sperm from infant mice cells were developed “artificially” in the lab environment and subsequently injected into female mice ova. The result? Healthy mouse babies that were all born fertile themselves.
Though this research has not been tested on other animals (and certainly not humans), the implications for men suffering from male infertility (or who may suffer from male infertility, as would be the case with young men undergoing cancer treatments) are abundant.
The Japanese scientists are highly encouraged by the idea that freezing testicular tissues before any male infertility issues arise (e.g., prior to chemotherapy or radiation), sperm can later be made in the laboratory and then used to fertilize eggs.
Quick stat:
Male infertility is estimated to affect approximately 30% of men around the world. Although most are what is considered to be “sub-fertile”, around 2% of all males are entirely infertile.