April 13, 2007

scientists react to breakthrough in creation of artificial sperm

Researchers at Newcastle University were able to create precursors to sperm cells using stem cells from bone marrow.

Professor Harry Moore, Centre for Stem Cell Biology, University of Sheffield, said:

“This finding is of interest but we really need to be very cautious about the interpretation.

“Nearly all the investigations claiming that adult stem cells can change into another cell type (so called trans-differentiation) have not been substantiated when rigorously tested. This includes bone marrow cells to eggs (mouse study by Johnson et al. 2005 cited in this paper and refuted by others; see Eggan et al Nature. 2006 Jun 29;441(7097)). There are many artefacts when analysing gene and protein markers by cells grown in the laboratory and the results can be misleading.

“This is a fast moving field but we are still many years away from developing any therapies for infertility using such techniques. Unfortunately, these stem cell manipulations can lead to permanent genetic changes which would make them unsafe to use especially as a potential sperm or egg.”

Professor Malcolm Alison, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Diabetes and Metabolic Medicine, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, said:

“In the journal, ‘Reproduction’ a group of scientists from Germany found that a special type of cell (called mesenchymal stem cells), purified from a human bone marrow biopsy, could be induced by a form of vitamin A into becoming what looked like primitive testicular stem cells. Before we get too excited about this being a new form of infertility treatment, these cells cannot as yet be made into functioning sperm, so we have no idea if they can pass ‘the acid test’, the ability to fertilise female eggs as is achieved with donor sperm in IVF treatment.”