Death of the father: British scientists discover how to turn women's
bone marrow into sperm
By FIONA MACRAE - More by this author »
Last updated at 09:28am on 31st January 2008
Bye bye baby: The new science means the biological role of the father
is under threat
British scientists are ready to turn female bone marrow into sperm,
cutting men out of the process of creating life.
The breakthrough paves the way for lesbian couples to have children
that are biologically their own.
Gay men could follow suit by using the technique to make eggs from
male bone marrow.
Researchers at Newcastle upon Tyne University say their technique
will help lead to new treatments for infertility.
But critics warn that it sidelines men and raises the prospect of
babies being born through entirely artificial means.
The research centres around stem cells - the body's 'mother' cells
which can turn into any other type of cell.
According to New Scientist magazine, the scientists want to take stem
cells from a woman donor's bone marrow and transform them into sperm
through the use of special chemicals and vitamins.
Newcastle professor Karim Nayernia has applied for permission to
carry out the work and is ready to start the experiments within two
months.
The biologist, who pioneered the technique with mice, believes early-
stage 'female sperm' could be produced inside two years. Mature sperm
capable of fertilising eggs might take three more years.
Early-stage sperm have already been produced from male bone marrow.
Taking stem cells from an adult donor - possibly a cancer patient -
removes the ethical problems associated with using embryos.
The race to find a cure for infertility is global.
Greg Aharonian, a U.S. analyst who is trying to patent the
technologies behind female sperm and male eggs, said he wants to
undermine the argument that heterosexual marriage is superior because
it is aimed at procreation. "I'm a troublemaker,
I was the daughter of a sperm donor - shame no-one told me
Scientists discover a way to reverse memory loss
Researchers at the Butantan Institute in Brazil, meanwhile, claim to
have turned embryonic stem cells from male mice into both sperm and
eggs. They are now working on skin cells.
If their experiments succeed, the stage would be set for a gay man to
donate skin cells that could be used to make eggs.
These could then be fertilised by his partner's sperm and placed into
the womb of a surrogate mother.
Irina Kerkis, a researcher at the Brazilian centre, said this
development is possible, but raises ethical questions.
Laboratory-grown sperm and eggs offer hope for those left infertile
by radiotherapy treatment when they were young.
The experiments could also provide an invaluable insight into dealing
with infertility, a little understood condition that affects one in
six couples.
Other scientists warn however that the research is still in its
infancy and any treatment is still many years away from use in
hospitals and clinics.
There are also fears that children born from artificial eggs and
sperm will suffer severe health problems, like the mice in the
Newcastle experiments.
Couples who have children from artificial sperm created from women
would be able to have girls only. This is because the female sperm
would lack the Y-chromosome needed for boys.
Robin Lovell-Badge, of the National Institute for Medical Research in
London, said the creation of female sperm is at least a decade away.
Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, a campaign
group, said: "We are looking at absurd solutions to very obscure
situations and not addressing the main issue. Nobody is interested in
looking at what is causing infertility - social reasons such as
obesity, smoking and age.
"All these things would provide solutions which wouldn't grab the
headlines, but a lot more people would get the response they want -
which is to be able to have their own children."
Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute faith group, said the
Newcastle project flies in the face of research showing that children
do best when raised by a married mixed- sex couple.
"Children need male and female role models in their lives," he
added. "Yes, there are children raised by single parents through all
sorts of circumstances, but when you are talking about deliberately
creating children in that way, that is morally wrong."
Debra Matthews, a U.S. bioethicist, said: "People want children and
no one wants anyone else to tell them they can't have them."
An update of Britain's ageing fertility laws is going through
Parliament and is likely to allow the use of artificial sperm and
eggs in IVF treatment - but only for heterosexual couples.
The Newcastle research also paves the way for a woman to grow her own
sperm and use it to fertilise her natural eggs, creating a child to
which she is both mother and father.
Similarly, a man could be both father and mother to a child created
with his own sperm and a lab-grown egg. Such children would be at
high risk of genetic abnormality.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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