Sperm News and Research

RSS

The term sperm refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell. The human sperm cell is haploid, so that its 23 chromosomes can join the 23 chromosomes of the female egg to form a diploid cell.

Researchers identify key protein that plays an essential role in male fertility

Mammalian sperm cannot fertilize an egg from the get-go. It's an ability acquired only after insemination, during passage through the female reproductive tract, and requires two consecutive, time-sensitive processes to provide sperm with the physical and biochemical traits necessary to complete their fundamental job.

20 Aug 2021

Study reveals mechanism behind male infertility caused by autoimmune disease

Investigators have found that the absence of autoimmune regulator (Aire) in mice results in fertility problems similar to those affecting men with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type I (APS-1).

19 Aug 2021

Structure of BRCA2 protein complex critical for DNA repair solved

The initials BRCA2 may be best known for a gene associated with many cases of breast cancer, and the protein encoded by the BRCA2 gene is critical to repairing breaks in DNA.

13 Aug 2021

Researchers identify human sperm mutations that can cause disease in children

Throughout development, life and the processes of aging, all human cells accumulate mutations, resulting in what is called mosaicism, a condition in which different cells in the same person have different DNA sequences or genetic makeup.

12 Aug 2021

Mutation in a single gene may be responsible for non-obstructive azoospermia in men

Mutation in a single gene appears to account for a form of male infertility in which men fail to produce sperm, according to an international study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

5 Aug 2021

Researchers solve century old mystery by identifying how sex cells get the right genetic mix

A new discovery explains what determines the number and position of genetic exchanges that occur in sex cells, such as pollen and eggs in plants, or sperm and eggs in humans.

3 Aug 2021

Contraception is free to women, except when it’s not

For Stephanie Force, finding a birth control method that she likes and can get without paying out-of-pocket has been a struggle, despite the Affordable Care Act's promise of free contraceptives for women and adolescent girls in most health plans.

23 Jul 2021

Computer simulation model identifies key factors for successful transit of sperm in the genital tract

A research team at the Humboldt University Berlin and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research developed an agent-based computer model to simulate the journey of sperm cells through the female genital tract.

16 Jul 2021

Discovery opens door to new diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for male infertility

Scientists at The University of Toledo discovered new movement in sperm that provides innovative avenues for diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for male infertility.

28 Jun 2021

Albumin supplementation improves human fertility, fights infection

A new University of California, Irvine-led study reveals albumin (Alb), among the most abundant proteins in the body, activates a proton channel (hHv1), also widespread in the body, giving sperm the ability to penetrate and fertilize an egg, and allowing white blood cells to secrete large amounts of inflammatory mediators to fight infection.

22 Jun 2021

Women treated with fertility drugs do not have increased breast cancer risk, study shows

Drugs routinely used during fertility treatments to release eggs do not increase the risk of developing breast cancer, new research has shown.

21 Jun 2021

Maternal and paternal inflammatory disease can affect pregnancy outcomes

Data presented at the 2021 EULAR congress show women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially pre-term birth and babies small for gestational age.

18 Jun 2021

Study shows mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is safe for male reproduction

The Pfizer and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is safe for male reproduction, according to a new study by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers published in JAMA, the most widely circulated general medical journal in the world.

18 Jun 2021

Researchers find several persistent industrial chemicals in fetal organs

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found industrial chemicals in the organs of fetuses conceived decades after many countries had banned the substances.

16 Jun 2021

Bio-inspired robot reveals motion pattern of ray sperms

It is generally agreed that sperms "swim" by beating or rotating their soft tails. However, a research team led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has discovered that ray sperms move by rotating both the tail and the head.

11 Jun 2021

New method successfully reversed male infertility in mice

The ability of stem cells to fix impaired functions of host tissues after transplantation has been a lifesaving breakthrough in treating previously incurable conditions. Much like a coin toss, however, the fate of the transplanted stem cells is unpredictable. They may choose self-renewal, grow into a different kind of tissue, or die.

8 Jun 2021

Research reveals paternal transmission of stress responses to offspring via sperm

Male mice more susceptible to stress can pass down their behaviors to offspring via changes in their sperm’s genetic code, according to new research published in JNeurosci.

4 Jun 2021

Could semen quality indicate SARS-CoV-2 insult susceptibility in polluted areas?

In a recent review in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Italian researchers focused on “the evidence that correlates the degree and type of pollution with the increased susceptibility of many countries to this pandemic and proposes human semen as an early marker of the environmental health and the general health of individuals.” Their observations are based on a robust body of experimental evidence.

2 Jun 2021

Study shows that breast cancer can be prevented with better contraception choices

Hormonal contraceptives, e.g. the pill, the patch, and the vaginal ring, contain synthetic hormones that prevent pregnancy by either stopping ovulation, changing the cervical mucus to stop sperm from passing through the cervix and finding an egg, or changing the womb's lining to prevent a fertilized egg from being implanted in it.

29 May 2021

Sperm deliver signals to female reproductive tissues to increase the chances of conception

Sperm are generally viewed as having just one action in reproduction - to fertilize the female's egg - but studies at the University of Adelaide are overturning that view.

18 May 2021