Posted on 04/13/2007 8:52:40 PM PDT by VxH
Women might soon be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow lesbian couples to have their own biological daughters, according to a pioneering study published today.
Scientists are seeking ethical permission to produce synthetic sperm cells from a woman's bone marrow tissue after showing that it possible to produce rudimentary sperm cells from male bone-marrow tissue.
The researchers said they had already produced early sperm cells from bone-marrow tissue taken from men. They believe the findings show that it may be possible to restore fertility to men who cannot naturally produce their own sperm.
But the results also raise the prospect of being able to take bone-marrow tissue from women and coaxing the stem cells within the female tissue to develop into sperm cells, said Professor Karim Nayernia of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Creating sperm from women would mean they would only be able to produce daughters because the Y chromosome of male sperm would still be needed to produce sons. The latest research brings the prospect of female-only conception a step closer.
"Theoretically is it possible," Professor Nayernia said. "The problem is whether the sperm cells are functional or not. I don't think there is an ethical barrier, so long as it's safe. We are in the process of applying for ethical approval. We are preparing now to apply to use the existing bone marrow stem cell bank here in Newcastle. We need permission from the patient who supplied the bone marrow, the ethics committee and the hospital itself."
If sperm cells can be developed from female bone-marrow tissue they will be matured in the laboratory and tested for their ability to penetrate the outer "shell" of a hamster's egg - a standard fertility test for sperm.
"We want to test the functionality of any male and female sperm that is made by this way," Professor Nayernia said. But he said there was no intention at this stage to produce female sperm that would be used to fertilise a human egg, a move that would require the approval of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
The immediate aim is to see if female bone marrow can be lured into developing into the stem cells that can make sperm cells. The ultimate aim is to discover if these secondary stem cells can then be made into other useful tissues of the body, he said.
The latest findings, published in the journal Reproduction: Gamete Biology, show that male bone marrow can be used to make the early "spermatagonial " stem cells that normally mature into fully developed sperm cells.
"Our next goal is to see if we can get the spermatagonial stem cells to progress to mature sperm in the laboratory and this should take around three to five years of experiments," Professor Nayernia said.
Last year, Professor Nayernia led scientists at the University of Gottingen in Germany who became the first to produce viable artificial sperm from mouse embryonic stem cells, which were used to produce seven live offspring.
His latest work on stem cells derived from human bone marrow suggests that it could be possible to develop the techniques to help men who cannot produce their own sperm naturally.
"We're very excited about this discovery, particularly as our earlier work in mice suggests that we could develop this work even further," Professor Nayernia said.
Whether the scientists will ever be able to develop the techniques to help real patients - male or female - will depend on future legislation that the Government is preparing as a replacement to the existing Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.
A White Paper on genetics suggested that artificial gametes produced from the ordinary "somatic" tissue of the body may be banned from being used to fertilise human eggs by in vitro fertilisation.
>>Scientists are seeking ethical permission
permission denied.
Telegram?
Feminist Lesbians: “We don’t need you men anymore. We can bear our own children now.”
Men: “Um, ok. Whatever. We still think you’re shrill, rude, hairy, and entirely unattractive with the buzz cuts and weird smock...whatever’s you like to wear. Now excuse us while we go look for some *nice* girls...”
(I’ve spent a great deal of time around feminist lesbians, unfortunately. I know what I’m talking about).
>>We can bear our own children now.
And they demand the “right” to use our health insurance premiums to do so.
Can’t wait to see what androgeny this produces.
It only works if they let guys watch.
What? Have we run out of diseases that need cures, or is that not a god-like enough pursuit for some researchers?
Satan is working overtime to push his agenda.
Let’s see, now that the lesbians can reproduce free of “evil” men, I wonder how long it will be before one of them gets the idea to create Neo-Amazonia and purge all who possess the Y chromosome?
I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a website for it already up somewhere.
Hillary surely would have preferred this to being raped by Bill.
They’d have to get past Islam to do it.
Once the homosexuals succeed in destroying what’s left of Western Civilization, there will be nothing to protect them.
so, for the first time in human history there will be babies who will not be the product of one man + one woman.
It seems this will be imposing a terrible burden on the poor children who are conceived in this manner.
Thank goodness our heterosexual women will protect us heterosexual men against these sperm producing lesbians.
What bone marrow are they talking about? If they want bone, they should not be looking for it in all the wrong places.
Nothing worse than a sperm producing lesbian,the next thing you know , all ejaculations will require a government permit and a third party observing scientist.
Its the end of the human race as we know it.
( Heavy Sarc. tag)
[so, for the first time in human history there will be babies who will not be the product of one man + one woman.]
It reminds me of Jurassic Park:
Just because you can do something that doesn't mean it's wise to go ahead and do it.
Frankenstein. Obsession and Tragedy.
Cool, they can screw each other over in family court for a change!
imagine how the children themselves will feel to learn the circumstances of their conception someday!
How could they not feel separated from the rest of humanity?
I would imagine it would be very difficult for them to live with.
Gee, I wonder: Do maies have a bone that might come in handy to lesbians who want to have kids?
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