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 how Atg2 drives autophagosome formation

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation mechanism in eukaryotes. The autophagosome, which encloses damaged or excess cellular material for degradation, is constructed from lipids supplied by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), via the lipid transfer protein Atg2.

4 Sep 2026

Some fertility treatments may raise Kawasaki disease risk in children

A large-scale study in Japan, led by researchers from the University of Osaka and the Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, has found that certain fertility treatments are associated with an increased risk of Kawasaki disease before age five, although the association differed by treatment type.

3 Sep 2026

Study finds biases in tools predicting dangerous genetic mutations

When a patient has their DNA read, it gets compared against a reference version of the human genome. It allows geneticists and rare disease experts to look at a list of places where the patient's DNA differs.

3 Sep 2026

Hidden sperm structures may offer new clues to male fertility

Researchers at VIB, VUB, and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (UK) have discovered a hidden feature of human sperm cells.

2 Sep 2026

Lifestyle factors aggravate genetic causes of male infertility, study finds

Lifestyle factors can worsen the effects of genetic causes of male infertility, finds new research that could help explain why men carrying similar genetic mutations often experience different levels of fertility impairment.

31 Aug 2026

Paternal sperm epigenetics may help explain early pregnancy loss

When a pregnancy ends early and unexplained, the search for answers usually begins with the mother. Lacey Luense, Ph.D., wants to know what the father's sperm might have to do with it.

28 Aug 2026

Book reframes pregnancy loss as a natural trial-and-error process

According to a new book from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign anthropology professor Kate Clancy, pregnancy is necessarily fraught, involving a series of tests of egg, embryo and reproductive system viability, with potential losses at every stage.

24 Aug 2026

Satellite DNA acts as a barcode for matching chromosome pairs

The body cells of humans and animals contain a double set of chromosomes. One half of the genetic material comes from the mother, the other stems from the father.

24 Aug 2026

Paternal valproate use not linked to offspring neurodevelopmental risks

Use of the antiseizure drug valproate by fathers before conception is not associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their children, according to a new study published August 19, 2026, in Neurology®, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Aug 2026

Study links higher body fat to lower sperm counts despite normal BMI

Among 1,058 Danish men, higher body fat percentage was associated with lower total sperm count and altered reproductive hormone levels, but not testicular volume. Body fat percentage showed stronger links with several semen measures than BMI or waist-to-height ratio, with the sperm-count association strengthening among men with normal BMI.

2 Aug 2026

Cooperative sperm may improve fertilization success across diverse arthropods

Fertilization is often imagined as a frantic race, with millions of sperm competing for a single prize. But new research by a team of evolutionary biologists from Syracuse University, University of Siena, Italy, and University of Szeged, Hungary, reveals a more surprising reality, where success can depend less on competition and more on cooperation.

31 Jul 2026

New research explains how embryos establish germline cell boundaries

Every embryo of an organism that reproduces sexually faces an early and consequential decision: which of its cell lineages will make up the mortal body, and which will become the germline, the lineage that eventually makes eggs or sperm and carries genetic information to the next generation.

30 Jul 2026

Body fat percentage predicts male fertility better than BMI

A man's body fat percentage may be a better indicator of his reproductive health than body mass index (BMI) according to a large study of over 1000 Danish men.

29 Jul 2026

Father's diet before conception impacts baby's body composition

A father's diet can affect his children's health and body composition before they are even conceived. A study of 43 triads of fathers, mothers, and newborns treated in the public healthcare system of Ribeirão Preto in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, demonstrated this.

28 Jul 2026

Frozen embryo transfers dominate assisted reproduction across Europe

More than 1.15 million assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment cycles were reported across Europe in 2023, according to preliminary data presented by the European IVF Monitoring (EIM) Consortium at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

6 Jul 2026

Study links geography to significant differences in sperm quality

A new nationwide study has found substantial regional differences in sperm quality, with men in the highest-performing region recording almost double the total motile sperm count of those in the lowest-performing region.

6 Jul 2026

Air pollution may impact genes involved in sperm development

New research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) suggests that exposure to air pollution may impact genes associated with sperm development, raising new questions about male fertility, pregnancy outcomes and offspring health.

6 Jul 2026