Stem Cells Set to Stamp Out Infertility

LONDON, April 19, 2007 — -- The author of a new study on changing human bone marrow stem cells into immature sperm cells is optimistic that his work will eventually allow infertile men and lesbian couples to conceive by producing their own sperm.

Karim Nayernia of Newcastle University in England expressed his excitement to ABCNEWS.com, saying that "this represents a real breakthrough from a biological and medical point of view."

Nayernia said his research suggested that "doctors may one day take a normal, adult cell -- from bone marrow or another tissue -- and coax it into becoming a sperm cell. These sperm cells could then be put into the testes of infertile men, allowing them to conceive with their partners."

Nayernia had previously worked on a similar study using bone marrow taken from mice. His team was able to coax the mouse cells to begin the process of becoming sperm cells. Invariably, however, the cells fell short of developing into useful sperm cells. The mouse cells were able to complete two of the three divisions necessary for them to become mature sperm cells.

But the fact that the third crucial division did not take place in mouse cells or in human cells has led other experts in the field to counsel caution about taking this new study's conclusions to heart.

David Smotrich, founder and medical director of the fertility institute LaJolla IVF in California, said that "although there's been tremendous excitement surrounding this study, I am skeptical about its implications. If you can't even coax these cells into becoming mature sperm cells in mice, under lab conditions, then I certainly don't see how you can make it happen in human beings."

"The hype tremendously supercedes any possibility of such trials contributing to fertility therapy," he said.

Nayernia's team took bone marrow stem cells from men who were about to undergo bone marrow transplants. The scientists then added proteins and vitamin A, which apparently promotes sperm development, to these human stem cells. As a result of this process, the stem cells began to show signs of becoming partly developed sperm cells. Unlike the sperm stem cells found in most men, they did not achieve maturity, even under lab conditions.