All it’s worthwhile to find out about lab-grown sperm that might ‘finish male infertility’
Need to know
A startup claims it has cultivated functional lab-grown sperm and used it to create embryos that appear healthy, in a potential breakthrough for male infertility treatment — though results are yet to be peer-reviewed
Scientists have made a breakthrough in treating male infertility(Image: Getty Images)
Everything you need to know
- Scientists have made a breakthrough in treating male infertility by successfully growing human sperm in a laboratory.
- Paterna Biosciences, a Utah-based startup, claims to have cultivated functional sperm and used it to create healthy embryos. The innovative method involves extracting sperm-producing stem cells from testicular tissue and nurturing them into mature sperm in lab dishes.
- Alexander Pastuszak, CEO and cofounder of Paterna, explained: “We’ve figured out the instructions that are needed to teach these stem cells to become mature, normal sperm.” The team used computer-based research to work out which chemical signals the cells need at each stage.
- Larry Lipshultz, a professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine, said: “This is huge. People didn’t understand, or had never figured out, what growth factors you have to supply to these cells to get them to become mature sperm.”
- Trials of lab-made sperm to start pregnancies could begin as soon as next year. The treatment would cost around £4,000-£9,500 and could replace lengthy surgical procedures that often find nothing.
- The approach might also help boys who have chemotherapy before puberty and could theoretically help same-sex couples in future. However, the high cost could put it out of reach for many people.
- Paterna’s results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal or independently confirmed.
READ THE FULL STORY: Lab-grown human sperm could ‘end male infertility’ in huge medical breakthrough
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