Cure infertility with artificial testicles

Researchers in the United States hope to become the first scientists in the world to successfully cure male infertility with artificial testicles.

Dr. Paul Turek, Director of Turek Hospital in San Francisco, the study author said, the testicle has cylindrical length of several inches, filled with salt solution. Although it does not look like a true testicle, the composition and function of artificial testicles is similar to that of natural testicles.

Normally, cells in the testes must go through 12 stages to develop sperm cell walls, but with the new method only needs 9 or 10 stages.

First, the cells function to support nourished sperm cells including Sertoli cells, a type of vegetative cell located in the epithelium, and then add embryonic stem cells. These stem cells will go down to the artificial testicles and develop into the precursor cells of the sperm here, Turek said in MyHealthNewsDaily.

Each artificial testicle has an average life of 70 days, equivalent to a sperm production cycle, which will then be replaced by a new testicle.

Professor Kyle Orwig, who works at Pittsburgh University, thinks this is an ambitious project, but it is a miracle if this method becomes a reality. There has never been a study of infertility using 'artificial sperm producers' in conjunction with stem cells.

According to Prof. Orwig, to succeed the research team should use skin-derived stem cells instead of embryonic stem cells. Dr. Turek hopes to complete the project within the next 5 to 7 years.