Tag: human sperm

Men with low sperm counts are likely to have important co-existing health problems

Last modified: March 18, 2018

infertile men

Men with low sperm counts are more likely to have a number of health issues that put them at increased risk of illness, new research suggests.

A study of 5,177 men found those with low sperm counts were 20% more likely to have more body fat, higher blood pressure and more “bad” cholesterol.

They were also much more likely to have low testosterone levels.

The study’s authors said it showed that men with low sperm counts should also be tested for other health problems.

Dr Alberto Ferlin, who led the study, said: “Infertile men are likely to have important co-existing health problems or risk factors that can impair quality of life and shorten their lives.

The study will be presented at ENDO 2018, the Endocrine Society’s 100th annual meeting in Chicago.

Human sperm in vitro created by scientists

Last modified: December 4, 2021

Human sperm cells have been successfully created in the laboratory for the first time by using an artificial bioreactor. This is a breakthrough in infertility treatment sought for more than a decade since no one had been able to complete the complicated process of sperm maturation in vitro.

human sperm by scientists

Human sperm cells have been successfully created in the laboratory

Researchers based at a French national research institute in Lyon had announced this discovery previously, but they and government lab CNRS explained the process for the first time on Sept. 17 after taking out a patent on it.

Scientists have managed to complete spermatogenesis in vitro, a process taking place in the male testes in vivo, which leads the immature germ cells to become mature spermatozoa fully competent to fertilize. They succeeded this by developing a bioreactor using a viscous fluid, made partly of substances found in the walls of mushrooms, to mimic the in vivo conditions.

Scientists claim that this achievement promises to succeed in helping young men with cancer that caused them fertility issues later in their lives and adult men who cannot make their own sperm. About 15,000 men are made sterile due to cancer treatments and other 120,000 suffer from untreatable infertility. They explained that their fertility could be preserved by developing mature human sperm from their immature cells, then freezing it. The team hopes to be able to treat patients as soon as 4 years.

Even though trials have been reportedly successful on rat, monkey and human sperm cells, the lack of further details on the process has other scientists feeling skeptical. They look forward to the publication of the study so that to be able to discuss details of the research with the team and reveal the full mechanism through which such a process was accomplished in vitro.

Is this novel data or what?

Hey! If you found this post interesting or useful, you can help us get even better by subscribing to our newsletter. Just write your email and you’ll have the latest news regarding fertility issues. Thank you once more for your help.