Subscribe now

THEY’VE got to be the youngest fathers yet. Stem cells taken from mouse embryos have been used to generate sperm that went on to fertilise eggs and produce live offspring. The technique could one day help an infertile man to have his own biological children.

Sperm have been created from stem cells and injected into eggs before, but the resultant embryos stopped growing after a couple of days. “We think it’s a big step forward,” says Karim Nayernia at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, a member of the team that carried out the research.

Stem cells were extracted…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop