Scientists Turn Stem Cells Into Working Sperm

(NEWSER) - British scientists announced they have created synthetic human sperm for the first time, the Guardian reports. The sperm—grown in a lab from stem cells—swim, have tails, and exhibit many of the same biological characteristics of real sperm, according to researchers. They believe the breakthrough could lead to a better understanding of male infertility and its treatment. More»

Men's sperm quality improves with daily ejaculation, study finds

(NEWSER) - Having sex every day improves sperm quality and can improve a couple's chances of conception, an Australian fertility specialist finds. Eight in 10 men with fertility problems showed less damaged DNA and more mobility in their sperm after 7 days, the BBC reports. The study recommended men "keep the river flowing" while their partners ovulate, but warned that overdoing the regimen might cut sperm numbers too much. More»

Sen. Ralph Shortey read about this, um, threat online

(NEWSER) - Oklahoma Sen. Ralph Shortey is on a mission. He's introduced a bill banning any food products "which contains aborted human fetuses in the ingredients." Is this a going problem in Oklahoma, you ask? Well no, but Shortey read about it once on the Internet, he tells the AP , and the bill is intended to raise "public awareness" of the issue. He insists the bill is serious, and says it's being misunderstood. More»

Federal funding can now be used for human embryonic cell research

(NEWSER) - A federal appeals court overturned the ban on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research today in a 2-1 ruling. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that such funding did not violate a 1996 law forbidding the use of federal money for research in which an embryo is destroyed, according to the Wall Street Journal . It’s a significant victory for President Obama, who made lifting George W. Bush’s restrictions on stem cell research funding one of his first acts as president. More»

21-year-old got drug 6 months ago, but it's too early to gauge results

(NEWSER) - A 21-year-old nursing student in Alabama paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident says he's "doing well" after receiving an experimental drug made from embryonic stem cells, but that it's too early to gauge his prospects of being able to walk again. Timothy Atchison tells the Washington Post that he received the drug in the closely watched experiment six months ago shortly after his accident. "We’re just in the early stages right now," he says. "It’s not at the stage to really know what’s going on." More»