Stem cells grown into sperm cells

[Khephra]

Stem cells grown into sperm cells

WASHINGTON -- Embryonic stem cells have been encouraged to grow into sperm cells for the first time, Japanese scientists report.

The work is very preliminary, and was done in the laboratory with mouse stem cells. The next step would be to see if it can be repeated in live animals.

Stem cells are the basic building blocks of animals, forming in the new embryo and later developing into the various organs and tissues as the fetus grows.

Researchers have grown stem cells into many other types of cells, including egg cells, but this is the first time a sperm cell has been developed, the scientists said.

The work was headed by Toshiaki Noce of Mitsubishi Kagaku Institute of Life Science in Japan. The results are reported in this week's online issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.


more...........

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2003/09/17/build/health/46-stem.inc

[SoCalDem]

1. I was not aware there was a shortage of them

:evilgrin:

Maybe that scientific team read the study a while back that intimated that "males might be unnecessary" in the future :evilgrin:

[Atlant]

2. I guess they did it because "Every sperm is sacred".

> Researchers have grown stem cells into many other types of cells,
> including egg cells, but this is the first time a sperm cell has
> been developed, the scientists said.

I guess they did it because "Every sperm is sacred".

Atlant

[Dead_Parrot]

3. It would be more useful...

...to turn sperm into stem cells, methinks.

[Atlant]

4. You can't -- Sperm are short a few chromosomes (esp. an "X") (NT)

[Dead_Parrot]

5. Oops, My ignorance is showing...

...Think I'll go read a book. Thanks Atlant...:dunce:

[Tims]

6. Not Short Any

All germ cells (eggs & sperm) contain all 23 chromosomes, but not in pairs. All non-germ cells contain paired chromosomes. When a sperm fertilizes an egg, the unpaired chromosomes combine to form the normal paired chromosomes. Chromosome 23 exists as either an X type or a Y type. Female cells all contained paired X chromosomes, therefore the egg cell will always contain a single X type of the 23rd chromosome. The 23rd chromosome of cells in males contain an X paired with a Y. Sperm cells therefore may have either a single X or a single Y type as the 23rd chromosome. When the sperm and egg unite, the type of 23rd chromosome carried by the sperm determines the sex of the offspring (X+Y = male X+X = female).

Germ cells are produced by the process of Meiosis, which is when, during cell division, there is a reduction from diploid (paired chromosomes) to haploid (single chromosomes). Many animals are haploid by nature (such as bees) and sex is determined by other factors.

[Atlant]

8. Interesting way to count!

Interesting use of the word "pair" on your part (as in "23 pairs of
chromosomes" aren't "46 chromosomes"), but I'll grant you your use
of the word.

But my point is still valid. You can't take the genome found in a
single sperm cell and create a stem cell.

If you would like to argue that you could fuse two haploid sperm
cells (with at least one of them containing an "X" chromosome) to
make one diploid stem cell, then maybe you've got something. But
AFAIK, THAT technology doesn't exist yet.

Atlant

[HereSince1628]

7. Those outside biology might not appreciate this

for a century biologists have considered that during embryonic development 2 lineages of cells emerge and remain distinct...germ cells that go on to make either sperm or ova and somatic cells that make everything else in the body.

That a stem cell, produced by a somatic cell can be induced to behave as a germ cell is, for biologists, pretty nifty. It provides insight into cellular mechanisms for regulation of a cell's reproductive, hence genetic, destiny--either mitosis or meiosis.

It has nothing to do with availability of sperm, per se.

[salin]

9. Will some of the religious rightnuts do an about face now?

Seems that this would move us a step closer to the Hand Maiden type world they seem to savor to create.

[TahitiNut]

10. One step closer to hermaphroditism?

:eyes:

[DrBB]

11. Nice. I could use a few islets of langerhans

...if they wanted to grow some up for me. Hope that's next.

Actually, I have had the distinct impression that the big Pharmas make way too much money selling diabetic paraphernalia for them to get very enthusiastic about curative (as opposed to ameliorative) therapies.