Sperm precursor cells grown from skin sample

Stem cells found in human skin can be turned into sperm precursor cells, US researchers have found. The findings could help restore fertility to cancer patients, and could provide a new way of studying the development of sperm cells in the lab... [Read More]

Father's age strongest predictor of genetic mutations

Children of older fathers inherit more genetic mutations than those of younger fathers, according to Icelandic scientists.... [Read More]

Non-hormonal male pill successful in animal studies

Scientists may now be one step closer to producing the first non-hormonal, male contraceptive pill after a successful animal study... [Read More]

Daily dose of walnuts slightly but significantly boosts sperm health

Eating two handfuls of walnuts every day can improve sperm quality in healthy young men, researchers have found... [Read More]

Sperm-production gene could hold the key to developing a male pill

A non-hormonal male contraceptive pill could be developed by blocking a newly identified gene involved in the final stages of sperm production, according to scientists... [Read More]

Probiotic yoghurt makes male mice sexier

For mice at least, probiotic yoghurt could be the secret behind staying slim and 'sexy'. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US came to this conclusion after a study to evaluate the effect of yoghurt on age-related weight gain... [Read More]

Chemicals in environment can damage fertility - in male sheep

Exposure to low levels of environmental toxins may reduce male sperm counts, research in sheep suggests... [Read More]

Mouse sperm grown in lab

Researchers have successfully extracted germ cells - the cells that give rise to gametes - from the testes of mice, and used them to grow sperm in the lab... [Read More]

TV Review: Me, My Sex and I

'Me, My Sex and I' is a documentary about people who are born neither entirely male nor female. I must state at the outset that this programme is about the sex of the individual, and should not be confused with gender, which is how people identify themselves (something that many other TV reviews have got wrong in describing this programme). As the show makes clear, sex is not an 'either or' for many people; the real buzz word here is 'ambiguous'.... [Read More]

Aligning research legislation: interspecies embryos and animals containing human material

In 2008, important changes were made to the legislation governing the use of human embryos in research, the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFE Act) 1990. The legislation was extended to five categories of 'human admixed embryos' containing human and animal cellular or genetic components, which were brought within the licensing regime of the HFE Act... [Read More]

'Bone-fide' link to low sperm count?

A bone cell hormone can regulate male fertility hormone testosterone, a study on mice has found. Male mice engineered to produce little osteocalcin, a hormone released by bone cells called osteoblasts, had smaller litters and testes than unmodified mice... [Read More]

Stem cell fertility hope for boys with cancer

Restoring the fertility of men made sterile by childhood cancer treatment has come a step closer. Scientists claim they've successfully multipled sperm stem cells collected from young boys' testes in the laboratory... [Read More]

Study finds gene linked to male infertility

A study has shown that mutations in the NR5A1 gene may be responsible for many unexplained cases of male infertility.... [Read More]

Fresh evidence smoking damages fertility

Two new studies have revealed further evidence of the harmful effect of smoking on both male and female fertility... [Read More]

Prenatal effects on sperm production in adult males

Nearly 10 years ago, Professor Niels Skakkebæk from the Copenhagen University Hospital, published details of a new syndrome to account for the apparent increase in problems related to the male reproductive system that had been documented in many countries... [Read More]

UK MP highlights need for comprehensive cord blood strategy

Conservative MP for Enfield, Southgate, David Burrowes, led an adjournment debate in the House of Commons this week on the issue of umbilical cord blood banking and use. Stem cells from the umbilical cord of newborn babies have been successfully used as an alternative to bone marrow in the treatment of many blood disorders such as leukaemia, sickle-cell disease and immuno-deficiencies. Clinical research has also shown that cord blood may be developed to treat diabetes, liver th... [Read More]

'Selfish' tumor cells point to link between older fathers and genetic diseases

Researchers from the University of Oxford and Copenhagen University Hospital have discovered a surprising link between the development of rare but benign testicular tumors and the genetic transmission of certain genetic diseases, such as achondroplasia (commonly known as dwarfism), Apert, Noonan and Costello syndromes, as well as some conditions causing stillbirth. The study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Danish Cancer Society, and published in the journal Nature Genetics, could help e... [Read More]

Stress can enhance chemical damage to male fertility

Exposure to a combination of excessive stress and everyday chemicals whilst in the womb can have implications for future male fertility, according to Dr Amanda Drake and colleagues from the Centre for Cardiovascular Science and Reproductive Biology at the Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh.... [Read More]

First gene clues to testicular cancer identified

Two teams of scientists - from the UK and the US - have identified the first known inherited gene variants that predispose carriers to testicular cancer. Previous studies have highlighted genes that are active in testicular cancer cells but these studies, published together in the journal Nature Genetics, are the first to pinpoint inherited genetic causes of the disease.... [Read More]

Household chemicals could threaten male reproductive health

A report written by leading reproductive biologist Professor Richard Sharpe from the Medical Research Council in Edinburgh, UK, has called attention to the dangers of chemicals present in household consumer products. The report concludes that exposure to a cocktail of hormone disrupting chemicals in our environment, particularly... [Read More]