Sperm News and Research

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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 uncover molecular events underlying paternal diet-induced metabolic disorders in children

When parents eat low-protein or high-fat diets it can lead to metabolic disorders in their adult offspring. Now, an international team led by researchers at the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research have identified a key player and the molecular events underlying this phenomenon in mice.

19 Mar 2020

Increased competition between males can lead to higher rate of harmful mutations in offspring

Males that face tougher competition for females risk having offspring with a greater number of harmful mutations in their genome than males without rivals.

16 Mar 2020

SPRK1 enzyme plays role in reorganizing the paternal genome during fertilization

A sperm enters an egg, an embryo develops and eventually a baby is born. But back up a second -- how does the mother's half-genome actually merge with the father's half-genome to form one new human genome?

13 Mar 2020

Study: Antioxidant supplements do not improve semen quality among men with infertility

Antioxidant supplements do not improve semen quality among men with infertility, according to a new study supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health.

28 Feb 2020

Healthy diet, healthier sperm, greater fertility

A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open in February 2020 reports that Danish men who followed a healthy diet had the highest total sperm counts, and a better hormonal profile concerning hormonal regulators of fertility, compared to those on a Western or other less healthy types of diet.

23 Feb 2020

New quick and convenient microfluidic chip to assess male fertility

Current tests for male fertility include measuring the concentration and motility of spermatozoa. However, other characteristics of sperm, such as their ability to follow a chemical trail to the egg, can influence the likelihood of fertilization.

19 Feb 2020

Slightly increased risk of death for babies conceived by IVF

A new study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility in February 2020 reports a higher risk for mortality in children who were conceived by the in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique followed by freezing of the embryos, compared to those naturally conceived, but only in the first few weeks of life.

18 Feb 2020

New method to measure mutations in father's sperm may reveal ASD risk in future children

While the causes of autism spectrum disorder are not fully understood, researchers believe both genetics and environment play a role.

13 Feb 2020

Growing eggs and sperm to treat infertility

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have reported, in the journal Cell Reports, the mechanism of how the very early precursor or stem cells which eventually give rise to the germ cells, eggs and sperm, are formed over the course of development. This could help create eggs and sperms under laboratory conditions to help infertile people who don’t have sperms, or eggs, for instance.

9 Feb 2020

Sperm microbiome revealed with RNA sequencing

A new study reports the first-ever detailed description of the human sperm microbiome, using newer RNA sequencing techniques that are capable of discriminating between sperm RNA and that of bacterial contamination or colonization.

2 Feb 2020

Inducing totipotency into stem cells opens new doors for potential cell replacement therapies

Early mammalian development is a highly complex process involving elaborate and highly coordinated biological processes.

29 Jan 2020

Robotic search for drugs that block sperm motility

The hunt for the first male contraceptive pill is on, and scientists at Dundee University may have the needed tool to find it – a robotic screening system.

29 Jan 2020

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in England

In the health agency’s report, there were 49,029 diagnoses made in 2018, which is about 8,000 more than the previous year, surpassing breast cancer with 47,476 cases. Lung cancer followed with 38,996 cases. The new data reveals that there were more cancers detected in 2018 in men than in women, with a total of 15,228 cases and 151,452, respectively.

28 Jan 2020

Conceived through ‘fertility fraud,’ she now needs fertility treatment

When Heather Woock was in her late 20s, she started researching her family history. As part of the project, she spit into a tube and sent it to Ancestry, a consumer DNA testing service. Then, in 2017, she started getting messages about the results from people who said they could be half siblings.

28 Jan 2020

Landmark study identifies 102 genes associated with autism risk

In the largest genetic sequencing study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to date, researchers have identified 102 genes associated with risk for autism. The study also shows significant progress towards teasing apart the genes associated with ASD from those associated with intellectual disability and developmental delay, conditions which often overlap.

23 Jan 2020

Transcriptional scanning in the sperm may regulate rate of human evolution

Maturing sperm cells turn on most of their genes, not to follow their genetic instructions like normal, but instead to repair DNA before passing it to the next generation, a new study finds.

23 Jan 2020

Pilot study highlights the effect of chemotherapy on male fertility

A pilot study conducted by INRS researchers highlights the effect of chemotherapy on male fertility before and after puberty.

22 Jan 2020

Men in the UK could be allowed to donate sperm after death

A new analysis concludes that sperm donations taken from men after death are morally permissible.

22 Jan 2020

Debate continues over donor sperm from deceased men

A new article published in the Journal of Medical Ethics continues to defend the concept of sperm donation from dead men, in order to improve sperm quality, and quantity. This would go far in addressing the current deficiency of donor sperm.

21 Jan 2020

Fish oil supplements could benefit testicular function in healthy men finds study

A large Danish study has shown that fish oil supplements taken by healthy men of the reproductive age could help improve their testicular function as is evidenced by their semen quality and reproductive hormone levels. The study led by researcher Tina Kodd Jensen, titled, “Associations of Fish Oil Supplement Use With Testicular Function in Young Men,” was published this week in the latest issue of the JAMA.

19 Jan 2020