Human Sperm Could One Day Be Made From Bone Marrow
 

Mums could be dads

Jane Metlikovec

April 14, 2007 12:00am

WOMEN might one day be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow lesbian couples to have their own biological children.
German scientists have manipulated human stem cells, extracted from bone marrow, into immature sperm cells.

The researchers hope to use the technique to grow fully developed sperm within five years.

They say this may lead to ground-breaking fertility treatment for thousands of men, including cancer patients left sterile by chemotherapy.

But the technique, which could also be adapted to counter female infertility by growing eggs in a lab, raises the prospect of children being born through entirely artificial means.

If it were abused, men could be sidelined.

But Australian Stem Cell Centre chief executive Stephen Livesey said the research was in its early stages, and it was premature to suggest the technique could make men redundant.

"Australia supports a ban on reproductive cloning, and even if the technology could be misused there are controls in place in Australia to ensure it would not be," Prof Livesey said.

"This technique could benefit infertile males, and to say it could make men redundant is fairly shallow."

Sources: Mums could be dads
Other related news: Women to self-create

Lesbians and feminists are already preparing the champagne to celebrate the day when men are no longer necessary to make babies. :p

More seriously, a couple of years ago, a lab also managed to fertalize a female mouse with cells from the egg of another female mouse, so it seems that there are several promising ways to create artificial sperm cells from females. It's certain that it will become possible to impregnate women with artificial sperm cells in the near future.

And it's true that male fertility has been dropping regularly for many decades now (possibly centuries, records just don't go very far back), sperm counts are getting lower and lower with every generation, so it's not like the real stuff may be around forever. A 100% female society may be the future of mankind.

Female kind is gonna rule earth! :eek: :eek:
What about gay men?

OMG go women!! :cool:

Thats so amazing!

Honestly though...there would have to be something wrong along the ways. If a female cell and another female - sperm cell were to join, it would cause problems with puberty I'm guessing? Extra estrogen or progestin perhaps? And if you're child was male after this, where would he get any tesosterone?

I think there is a reason why men make sperm, and women have eggs...I'm not sure this is a good idea...a brilliant idea yes...but a good one...no...

I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think that so long as the child had all the correct genes it would develop normally and release the correct amounts of the right hormones at the right times. I might be wrong about this, so maybe someone else can answer this question.

The child wouldn't be male. The genes would come only from two female parents, both each having two X chromosomes, so there would be no Y chromosome present and therefore it would be impossible for a male child to be produced.

this news is so great! :coctail:
nice to know that there's a new glimmer of hope for couples with fertility troubles and lesbians

anyway, it reminds me this documentary about cloning, a british scientist tried to clone some stell cells from an american guy who was handicaped in order to make the patient regains his mobility.
after months, there was a few divisions and that was all
no "real results"

stem cells are really hard to control, the theory is not really difficult
you can develop whatever you want with a embryonic stem cell (I mean tissues lol)
are they using ES cells or somatic ones?

and yeah, how 2 women will manage to have boys?
I know that it's possible to make manipulation on the X chromosome to insert the sequences which contain the SRY gene but it's experimental too
plus, I guess that it implies to "put down" some genes on the X ... it's confusing
I don't know how to express it in english anyway (I'm thinking about knock-out, knock-in etc etc)

Offtop:
Haku sympa le proverbe Normand! on se mouille pas en Normandie hehe *wink*

Interesting info,but what will happen when the baby is being raised?.I think they just need parents from both sexes,the idea of two mothers doesnt seem much nice for me,even worse if the baby would be a boy.Still very interesting info indeed,will be watching the developments.

Why? There are people from the same sex who adopt children and they're great parents.

Apparently it *wouldn't* be a boy? Also, I can't believe what I'm hearing from you... in order to raise a child well, you don't need a mother and a father. Examples: gay couples who adopt, children without a mom/dad/both.

I've read an article about this experiment and about the possible change of society. It said that this new society would have risk not to have no more men, because they would be useless. It also said that women wouldn't have tried to be sexy or to wear well, and other things like that. It made me laugh...come on! Women not wear sexy or in a cool way only for men....what a stupid article!!!!

Well,i think so.I just think of people who want to live with a father and a mother and have no chance to experience it,and i dont think of a child who wants to live with two moms/dads.They could be great parents but it's the children that matters,happy children with gay parents doesnt seem realistic to me.It could be real of course,but in a big minority i think.

What the hell are you talking about? Not everyone has to live up to the society's standards. I feel much happier with just my mom rather than my mom and dad. Welcome to the 21st century. :rolleyes: The reason to why people want to live with 2 parents not of the same sex is because they would most likely be bullied at school, if not for the simple reason that society has made us believe that is the "normal" way to live. It's the people like you who think this is wrong, that are problem.

Like I said, they wouldn't be happy because people like you would think it's not right that they live their life that way. You are out of your mind. (Sorry, but narrow-minded opinions like yours make me furious)

happy children need great parents! gay/straight parents could be great, if they really want a child they would love him/her and that's the most importand
I prefer knowing that gays could have children they really want to have than knowing that some douchebags could have kids cuz' they're not on birth control or don't know how to use a condom!
love is not a question of gender, the only problem is society
in my opinion, most of people are not ready to see gays with kids and it's a pity

I am talking about people who have lost their parents,I mean people whose parents are in the "other world" right now(do you understand?).I am witness to that.

Excatly,but not like me ;),i just wanted to express that the pressure from the society will make those children unhappy,you know.I really dont think its wrong for gay couples to adopt,i just think of the pyschology of the child,you know what i mean?I live with reality.If there would be a guarantee that there wouldn't be even a little insulting comment about them being adopted by a gay couple,its never a problem.But theres no place like this at the moment.After all,I think I deserve an apologise,don't I?

that was what i meant!!

That is great!!!11

really!

[Now tatu can make a family...] what?! who said that?!?! :rolleyes:

Hm, welll maybe gay couple could be a great parents. But think about society, kid will be bullied in most cases. Do we want more suicides?

Well, that's one of the things you need to think about, before having a baby or adopting kids, when you are gay. "what people will think". :blabla: and that's sucks.

I agree totally.

Unfortunately, I think that's true. But I think that if it were to become a fairly common thing more people would be willing to accept it. Just saying that it shouldn't be allowed because people won't like it and the kids may find things a bit difficult will never make people change their opinions.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by the unforgiven (Post 348065) I prefer knowing that gays could have children they really want to have than knowing that some douchebags could have kids cuz' they're not on birth control or don't know how to use a condom!

That reminds me, it turns out my step-bro's gf/ex-gf (I'm really not sure any more) didn't go through with her abortion and no one bothered to tell me until a few days ago. Some time in September I'm gonna become an aunt :bum:

Not about what people will think, but about kid's future. Just adopting one without thinking is a bit selfish, dont you think?

I think they're more concerned on how to take care of their child. Everybody with or without gay parents has had some sort of bullying in their life. It's natural. Most kids learn to handle it and become a better person for it. IMO.