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.

Men with higher exposure to phthalate have lower sperm motility

Men with higher exposure to the substance DEHP, a so-called phthalate, have lower sperm motility and may therefore experience more difficulties conceiving children, according to a Lund University study.

24 Sep 2015

Researchers discover new strategy for attacking cancer cells

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered a new strategy for attacking cancer cells that could fundamentally alter the way doctors treat and prevent the deadly disease.

11 Sep 2015

UVA researchers identify new strategy for attacking cancer cells

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered a new strategy for attacking cancer cells that could fundamentally alter the way doctors treat and prevent the deadly disease. By more selectively targeting cancer cells, this method offers a strategy to reduce the length of and physical toll associated with current treatments.

10 Sep 2015

New UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center launched to protect communities from unhealthy exposures

A cross-disciplinary center focused on identifying connections between environmental toxins and disease has been established at UC Davis Health System with the ultimate goal of developing preventions and policies that protect communities from unhealthy exposures.

1 Sep 2015

UVA researchers reveal how sperm use 'harpoon' to facilitate fertilization

Could the sperm harpoon the egg to facilitate fertilization? That's the intriguing possibility raised by the University of Virginia School of Medicine's discovery that a protein within the head of the sperm forms spiky filaments, suggesting that these tiny filaments may lash together the sperm and its target.

28 Aug 2015

FamilyCord announces recent acquisition of LifeLine Cryogenics

California Cryobank Stem Cell Services LLC (dba "FamilyCord"), announced the recent acquisition of LifeLine Cryogenics, an east coast cord blood and reproductive tissue bank primarily servicing the New York tristate area. LifeLine clients will maintain full access to their invaluable tissues, and all prepaid contracts will be honored.

4 Aug 2015

Environmental factors promote genetic mutations, have underappreciated effect on disease, evolution

Washington State University researchers say environmental factors are having an underappreciated effect on the course of disease and evolution by prompting genetic mutations through epigenetics, a process by which genes are turned on and off independent of an organism's DNA sequence.

3 Aug 2015

RGS2 protein plays significant role in healthy egg-sperm union in mice

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a protein that plays a vital role in healthy egg-sperm union in mice. The protein RGS2 can delay an egg's development into an embryo in order to allow time for sperm to arrive and merge with the egg in a healthy fertilization process. The embryo cannot survive without the male chromosomes.

28 Jul 2015

Research findings may provide new approach to treating male infertility

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has demonstrated for the first time that hydrogen sulphide (H2S), when applied exogenously, could protect testicular germ cells, which are male reproductive cells, against heat-induced injury, which is one of the major causes of male infertility.

28 Jul 2015

MES announces worldwide release of new automated sperm quality analyzer

Medical Electronic Systems today announced the worldwide release of the SQA-Vision, the company's new automated sperm quality analyzer. The SQA-Vision was developed based on 10 years of market feedback and is positioned to augment the company's line of SQA-V and QwikCheck semen analyzers with a top of the line solution.

17 Jul 2015

Lumen 100-LED system integrated by Microptic allows fast, accurate sperm viability testing

Prior Scientific reports that its Lumen 100-LED has been integrated by Microptic SL to provide illumination for their Sperm Class Analyser system.

From Prior Scientific Instruments Ltd. 14 Jul 2015

Researchers develop sperm RNA diagnostic test to help determine best infertility treatment for couples

A Wayne State University School of Medicine professor, in collaboration with researchers at CReAte Fertility Center, University of Toronto, Harvard University and Georgia Reagents University, has developed the first diagnostic test for sperm RNA based on next-generation sequencing. For couples with unexplained infertility, the test may help determine the best infertility treatment for couples having difficulty conceiving.

12 Jul 2015

Chromosomal abnormalities in embryos created for IVF can be predicted at earliest stage of human development

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, Stanford University, University of Valencia and IGENOMIX have discovered that chromosomal abnormalities in human embryos created for in vitro fertilization, or IVF, can be predicted within the first 30 hours of development at the cell-1 stage which results from the union of a female egg and male sperm.

8 Jul 2015

IRB Barcelona scientists provide molecular details about Seckel Syndrome

Today in Nature Communications, scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) provide molecular details about Seckel Syndrome, a rare disease that causes microcephaly, or small brain, and growth delays.

8 Jul 2015

Research Instruments receives European patent for RI Witness system

Research Instruments Ltd, a company that develops cutting edge technology and biomedical equipment for use in the Assisted Reproduction (AR) sector, today announced the company has been awarded a European patent for their RI Witness system. It's the first to issue from a portfolio of patents filed for RI Witness.

6 Jul 2015

Researchers receive 2.6 million euros to study evolution of sexual reproduction in plants

A European and US consortium coordinated by Jorg Becker, group leader at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC; Portugal), has now received funding of 2.6 million euros for 3 years to study the evolution of sexual reproduction in plants. The project is funded under the scope of ERA-CAPS, a European network dedicated to support research activities in Plant Sciences.

3 Jul 2015

Certain stem cells use microscopic nanotubes to communicate with neighboring cells, shows research

When it comes to communicating with each other, some cells may be more "old school" than was previously thought. Certain types of stem cells use microscopic, threadlike nanotubes to communicate with neighboring cells, like a landline phone connection, rather than sending a broadcast signal, researchers at University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have discovered.

2 Jul 2015

New research links mutations in TEX11 gene to some cases of male infertility

In the most severe form of male infertility, men do not make any measurable levels of sperm. This condition, called azoospermia, affects approximately 1 percent of the male population and is responsible for about a sixth of cases of male infertility.

2 Jul 2015

Caya contoured diaphragm to expand U.S. women's options for nonhormonal barrier contraception

With the launch of the Caya contoured diaphragm this June, women in the United States will have access to a method of contraception that is nonhormonal, has few side effects, and can be used for up to two years. Last fall, the United States Food and Drug Administration cleared the single-size Caya contoured diaphragm for marketing in the US, and now the diaphragm is available by prescription from healthcare providers.

26 Jun 2015

Groundbreaking UVA research may lead to creation of male contraceptive

Groundbreaking new reproductive research from the School of Medicine has identified key molecular events that could be playing a critical role as sperm and egg fuse to create new life. The findings might one day lead to the creation of a male contraceptive.

24 Jun 2015