Mice produce sperm from monkeys

BBC News ^ | February 4, 2004 | Dr David Whitehouse

[NYer]

Mice have been used to produce viable monkey sperm using tissue transplanted from the testes of macaques.

The US scientists involved say their work might one day help to conserve animals that are facing extinction.

It might also be possible to grow human sperm in mice, although the team agree this would be a controversial move.

The researchers, from the universities of Pennsylvania and California, report their studies in the latest issue of the journal Biology of Reproduction.

In 2002, the same team produced goat and pig sperm from mice. It was the first time that sperm had been produced outside the original animal.

Testis transplant

The latest procedure involves transplanting a tiny amount of testicular tissue from an immature rhesus macaque monkey under the skin of a lab mouse.

Ina Dobrinski, of the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues transplanted the tissue into mice that had deficient immune systems, so that it would not be rejected.

"We started this work with primate testis after we had success with domestic animals," Professor Dobrinski told BBC News Online.

After seven months, the testes grafts on the backs of the mice were seen to produce viable sperm.

Grafting immature testis tissue appears to work because the host mouse had been castrated, Dobrinski says.

This boosts levels of the brain hormones that switch on sperm production, so the young tissue grows rapidly. The technique is expected to work on adult testis grafts, too.

The Pennsylvania group will now try the procedure on testis tissue from domestic cats, as a trial for endangered big cats that rarely survive to reproductive age in captivity.

The technique could also produce offspring from other endangered species or valuable livestock, even if only immature males exist.

The latest work with primates will help reduce the number of such animals used in laboratories.

Of mice and men

"The main benefits we see are that this approach provides a system to study and manipulate primate spermatogenesis, thereby minimising the need for experimentation in primates," Professor Dobrinski says.

[NYer]

Viable sperm were produced after seven months.

[NYer]

The very latest in Frankenscience!

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[Smartaleck]

And they called it puppy love.........

[Blood of Tyrants]

It might also be possible to grow human sperm in mice

This further complicates the question, "Are you a man or are you a mouse?"

[cyborg]

It might also be possible to grow human sperm in mice, although the team agree this would be a controversial move.

*** Pro-life groups have a lot of work to do.

[ElkGroveDan]

I want to see them bring back a frozen mammoth (or a hybrid offspring) this is one more procedure that will add to that possibility.

[martin_fierro]

Testis transplant

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Mice produce sperm from monkeys

And I thought I had a tough job!

[GingisK]

"Are you a man or are you a mouse?"

"I like cheese!"

[longfellow]

how do they get the mouse to wrap his hand around the monkeys.....nevermind.

[newgeezer]

Well, I wonder how much we paid for this bit of blatantly unconstitutional tripe.

[11th Earl of Mar]

By Dr David Whitehouse???

Maybe from the CLINTON Whitehouse?

[End Times Sentinel]

I want to see them bring back a frozen mammoth

 

Me too, I'll bet that would be delicious!

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[NYer]

Ping!

[Ima Lurker]

It was the first time that sperm had been produced outside the original animal.

Ah...ha! So THAT explains Algore.

[NYer]

Lol .... is she back?

[knarf]

"This further complicates the question, "Are you a man or are you a mouse?"

Not far from the truth ... IMO .. this kind of 'research' as well as most space "exploration" is motivated by the desire to "prove" there is no God.

[ItsForTheChildren]

Mice produce sperm from monkeys

The trick is getting the monkey to sit still long enough.

[Dionysius]

A breakthrough in the science of moral depravity.

[Clemenza]

This is really gross. It paves the way for "Mouskeys" and other animals that shouldn't exist.