According to reports today, human sperm cells have been grown in a laboratory for the very first time.
Kallistem, a company in Lyon, France, has claimed to have successfully transformed scraps of genetic material into fully-functioning sperm.
A spokesperson for the private research centre has said that the team are hoping to be able to carry out clinical trials on human subjects within the next two years. Pre-clinical trials are expected to begin in early 2016
If the procedure works on humans, the firm predicts to be able to treat as many as 50,000 patients a year.
Commenting after announcing the news, the company’s CEO Isabelle Cuoc said: “Our team is the first in the world to have developed the technology required to obtain full-formed spermatozoa in vitro with sufficient yield for IVF. This is a major scientific outcome that enhances both our credibility and our developmental potential.”
We will keep you updated on this very interesting breakthrough.
