Stem Cell - used to create sperm
from
Yahoo/AP
bq. Scientists say they have turned mouse embryonic stem cells into primitive sperm cells — and then used the sperm cells to fertilize eggs. The scientific team's work could offer insights into male infertility and boost human stem cell research.
bq. The sperm cells were not fully developed sperm, but rather their tail-less precursors. When they were injected into eggs, the eggs developed into embryos. Scientists are now studying whether such embryos can develop into live-born mice.
bq. The team was led by Dr. George Q. Daley of Harvard Medical School (news - web sites). Its findings were published online Wednesday by the journal Nature.
bq. Embryonic stem cells can develop into virtually any kind of cell of the body, and scientists hope to use them someday to create replacement parts to treat illnesses such as Parkinson's disease (news - web sites) and diabetes. The new work also involved embryonic germ cells, which appear in early embryos and mature into either sperm or egg cells.
Very cool stuff!
Posted by DaveH at December 10, 2003 10:53 AM