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.

Human adult testes cells can become embryonic-like

Using what they say is a relatively simple method, scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have extracted stem/progenitor cells from testes and have converted them back into pluripotent embryonic-like stem cells.

23 Mar 2009

Researchers clone key sperm-binding proteins

New treatments for infertility could be closer to reality, thanks to a discovery from scientists at the Université de Montréal and Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Centre.

17 Mar 2009

Children of older fathers perform less well in a range of cognitive tests during infancy and early childhood

In contrast, the study finds that children with older mothers gain higher scores in the same tests - designed to measure the ability to think and reason, including concentration, learning, memory, speaking and reading skills.

10 Mar 2009

Hormone imbalance from obesity impacts sex life

Hormonal changes and diminished sexual quality of life among obese men are related to the degree of obesity, and both are improved after gastric bypass surgery according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

3 Mar 2009

Possible new methods to enhance the success rate of fertility treatments

As hopeful moms-to-be learn, there are important considerations to the successful implantation of a fertilized human egg.

2 Mar 2009

Mathematical method helps to select human embryos

A team of researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU) have developed a mathematical classification which makes it possible to select human embryos for use in assisted reproduction treatments. Scientists have used the morphology of embryos to select the best candidates for implantation in the woman's uterus.

24 Feb 2009

Suppressing cancer with a master control gene

Starting with the tiny fruit fly and then moving into mice and humans, researchers at VIB and K. U. Leuven show that expression of the same gene suppresses cancer in all three organisms. Reciprocally, switching off the gene - called Ato in flies and ATOH1 in mammals - leads to cancer.

23 Feb 2009

Marijuana use may increase risk of testicular cancer

Frequent and/or long-term marijuana use may significantly increase a man's risk of developing the most aggressive type of testicular cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

9 Feb 2009

New research may lead to new pharmacologic approaches to treating obesity

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have discovered a gene that when mutated causes obesity by dampening the body's ability to burn energy while leaving appetite unaffected.

5 Feb 2009

At last a male contraceptive jab!

At last a male contraceptive jab has been developed and is all set to be trialled - and Sydney men will be the first guinea pigs!

3 Feb 2009

Animal eggs no source for embryonic stem cells

Stem cell researchers in the U.S. say that eggs from cows, rabbits and other animals are not a good source for creating embryonic stem cells.

3 Feb 2009

Scientists unlock secrets of gene regulatory networks

A quartet of studies by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) highlight a special feature on gene regulatory networks recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ( PNAS ).

3 Feb 2009

Ground-breaking test for spem quality

Scientists have developed a ground-breaking method for testing the quality of a sperm before it is used in IVF and increase the chances of conception.

19 Jan 2009

Study examines live birth rates following IVF

Thirty years ago last summer, the world's first "test-tube" baby was born, and since then more than 1 million infants have been successfully conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF), the technique in which a woman's eggs and man's sperm are fertilized in a laboratory and then implanted in the mother's womb.

15 Jan 2009

Winter babies face socioeconomic disadvantages

Many of us may often feel that we've been born under an unlucky sign.

7 Jan 2009

Vatican blames the Pill for environmental pollution

According to the Vatican's official newspaper, the contraceptive pill is a major cause of male infertility in the West and is also polluting the environment.

7 Jan 2009

Stem cells from human testes can change into other body tissues

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and at UC-San Francisco have succeeded in isolating stem cells from human testes.

5 Jan 2009

Schering-Plough announces European submission of fertility medicine Corifollitropin Alfa

Schering-Plough Corp. has announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has validated (accepted for review) its Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for corifollitropin alfa, the company's experimental, sustained follicle stimulant (SFS).

1 Jan 2009

Attitudes towards assisted reproduction and preimplantation genetic diagnosis

According to an international survey by the BBVA Foundation conducted this year, citizens in advanced societies view assisted reproduction techniques in general and in vitro fertilization in particular as firmly acceptable alternatives for people with fertility problems (over 7 points on an acceptance scale from 0 to 10 in twelve of the fifteen survey countries).

17 Dec 2008