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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.

Control over male fertility and hope for low sperm count

A new research report published in the December 2009 print issue of The FASEB Journal could one day give men similar type of control over their fertility that women have had since the 1960s. That's because scientists have found how and where androgenic hormones work in the testis to control normal sperm production and male fertility. This opens a promising avenue for the development of "the pill" for men. The discovery also offers hope to those who cannot have children because of low sperm counts.

1 Dec 2009

EMEA's CHMP recommends approval of Merck's ELONVA

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended approval of ELONVA® (corifollitropin alfa injection) as a treatment in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in combination with a GnRH antagonist for the development of multiple follicles in women participating in an assisted reproductive technology (ART) program.

20 Nov 2009

Annual conference to discuss male infertility and tackling falling birth rates across Europe

Male infertility and tackling falling birth rates across Europe will be among the topics addressed at this year's British Andrology Society's annual conference at Queen's University in Belfast.

19 Nov 2009

Gene therapy may hold promise for cryptorchid individuals risking infertility

EGR4 is a master gene responsible for fertility in cryptorchidism. Is gene therapy going to replace surgery?

18 Nov 2009

New proposal can have substantial implications on EU fertility treatment costs

With 900,000 assisted reproduction treatments annually such as IVF and intrauterine inseminations in Europe the Commission's proposal to screen both partners before each treatment could lead to costs of over EUR 140 million annually.

17 Nov 2009

Cytoskeleton plays a critical role to bring chromosome pairs together: Study

Meiosis - the pairing and recombination of chromosomes, followed by segregation of half to each egg or sperm cell - is a major crossroads in all organisms reproducing sexually. Yet, how the cell precisely choreographs these chromosomal interactions is a long-standing question.

16 Nov 2009

IVF Witness uses RFID to identify the sperm and eggs, and reduces the risk of lab errors in infertility treatment

A new software technology is helping to reduce the risk of laboratory errors in infertility treatment, by electronically identifying the sperm, eggs, resulting embryos and other materials used in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment cycles. Using non-invasive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), IVF Witness(TM) can track a patient's sperm, eggs and embryos during the course of treatment. If the wrong material is introduced in the lab environment, IVF Witness alerts the staff, via visual and audible signals, to help prevent mislabeling of any materials.

12 Nov 2009

Court denies preliminary injunction against Hologic, Conceptus to continue patent infringement suit

Conceptus, Inc., developer of the Essure® procedure, the first proven non-incisional permanent birth control method available, today announced that the United Stated District Court, Northern District of California has denied Conceptus’ motion for a preliminary injunction prohibiting Hologic, Inc. from importing, using, selling or offering to sell the Adiana system in the United States.

From Hologic, Inc. 10 Nov 2009

Prepubertal boys with cancer can bank on their testicular tissue for preserving fertility

For parents of children with cancer, the hopeful news is that pediatric survival rates have steadily improved for decades. Among the bad news-treatments that enable survival often cause infertility.

10 Nov 2009

Study sheds new light on threats to coral reproduction

What's the point of setting up marine reserves to protect coral reefs from pollution, ship groundings and overfishing if climate change could cause far more damage? A study published this week in London in Proceedings of the Royal Society B provides the answer.

4 Nov 2009

Study of combination therapy versus monotherapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Gilead Sciences, Inc., in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), today announced plans for an international, event-driven (morbidity and mortality) clinical trial to study combination therapy versus monotherapy in a first-line treatment setting for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

2 Nov 2009

Repros Therapeutics signs settlement agreement with major creditors

Repros Therapeutics today announced that the Company has entered into a settlement agreement with its major creditors for the large majority of the debt incurred associated with the recently suspended Proellex® clinical program.

30 Oct 2009

Conceptus reports clinical success of its Essure non-incisional permanent birth control procedure

Conceptus, Inc., developer of the Essure® procedure, the first proven non-incisional permanent birth control method available, today announced that the clinical success of the Essure® procedure will be highlighted at the 18th Annual Congress of the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) in Florence, Italy from October 28-31, 2009.

29 Oct 2009

California Cryobank updates its Spanish website

California Cryobank (CCB), an international sperm banking leader, announced today the release of their upgraded Spanish website www.criobanco.com. Criobanco.com offers all the features of CCB's English website www.cryobank.com including online ordering, donor search capability, and extensive information on using donor sperm.

28 Oct 2009

Scientific breakthrough to derive human parthenogenetic stem cell lines from unfertilized human eggs

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com) and Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York (RMA of New York) have shown that immature, unfertilized human eggs can be used to create “parthenotes” from which human parthenogenetic stem cell lines may be derived. Immature eggs are normally discarded during standard in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures due to their inability to create an embryo.

28 Oct 2009

Clinical results of INVO procedure for treatment of infertility announced

INVO Bioscience announced that CECOLFES (http://cecolfes.com/), Colombia Fertility Center, Bogota, Colombia, the first center in Latin America to introduce the INVOcell device and the INVO procedure for treatment of infertility, made known today the results of the first 28 cycles of the INVO procedure.

28 Oct 2009

Aquatrove Biosciences announces positive results from Conceive Plus study

Aquatrove Biosciences, Inc. presented positive results from a study demonstrating that the technology used in Conceive Plus™ may assist trying to conceive couples. These data were recently presented at the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

27 Oct 2009

Sperm can transmit HIV to macrophages and dendritic cells

Sperm, and not just the fluid it bathes in, can transmit HIV to macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells (DCs), report a team led by Ana Ceballos at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.

27 Oct 2009

Rare form of testicular tumour provides new insight into how genetic changes arise in children

A rare form of testicular tumour has provided scientists with new insights into how genetic changes (mutations) arise in our children. The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Danish Cancer Society, could explain why certain diseases are more common in the children of older fathers.

26 Oct 2009

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices supports the permissive use of GARDASIL

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) supports the permissive use of GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for boys and young men ages 9 to 26, which means that GARDASIL may be given to males ages 9 to 26 to reduce the likelihood of acquiring genital warts at the discretion of the patient's health care provider.

22 Oct 2009

Sperm News and Research

Further Reading

Control over male fertility and hope for low sperm count

EMEA's CHMP recommends approval of Merck's ELONVA

Annual conference to discuss male infertility and tackling falling birth rates across Europe

Gene therapy may hold promise for cryptorchid individuals risking infertility

New proposal can have substantial implications on EU fertility treatment costs

Cytoskeleton plays a critical role to bring chromosome pairs together: Study

IVF Witness uses RFID to identify the sperm and eggs, and reduces the risk of lab errors in infertility treatment

Court denies preliminary injunction against Hologic, Conceptus to continue patent infringement suit

Prepubertal boys with cancer can bank on their testicular tissue for preserving fertility

Study sheds new light on threats to coral reproduction

Study of combination therapy versus monotherapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Repros Therapeutics signs settlement agreement with major creditors

Conceptus reports clinical success of its Essure non-incisional permanent birth control procedure

California Cryobank updates its Spanish website

Scientific breakthrough to derive human parthenogenetic stem cell lines from unfertilized human eggs

Clinical results of INVO procedure for treatment of infertility announced

Aquatrove Biosciences announces positive results from Conceive Plus study

Sperm can transmit HIV to macrophages and dendritic cells

Rare form of testicular tumour provides new insight into how genetic changes arise in children

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices supports the permissive use of GARDASIL

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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