Showing posts with label fertility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fertility. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2026

A step toward lab‑grown sperm: Scientists turn stem cells into early sperm cells in a mini‑testis

Good news!

"... In a recent study published in Cell Stem Cell, scientists presented a recipe for transforming human blood-derived cells into immature primate sperm precursor cells in a mini-testis-like environment.

The researchers started with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from humans and rhesus macaques, which are blank-slate cells that can be programmed to become almost any cell type. By exposing them to specific chemical signals, the researchers transformed them into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs), which are lab-grown versions of the earliest embryonic cells that eventually develop into germline cells, in this case sperm cells. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
• Human and macaque iPSCs generate spermatogonia after testis reconstitution
• Induced germ cells form xenogeneic reconstituted testes with mouse somatic cells
• Differentiated germ cells recapitulate in vivo phenotypes and transcriptomes
• iPSC-derived spermatogonia express prepachytene piRNAs

Summary
Failures in germline development drive male infertility, but the lack of model systems that recapitulate human spermatogenesis hampers therapeutic development.
Here, we develop a system to differentiate human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into primordial germ cell-like cells that self-organize with mouse fetal testicular cells into seminiferous tubule-like structures within a xenogeneic reconstituted testis (xrTestis).
Subsequent transplantation of xrTestes into immunodeficient mice results in efficient generation of male germ cells up to meiotic onset, including spermatogonia with evidence of prepachytene PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) biogenesis, as well as differentiating spermatogonia and rare preleptotene spermatocytes exhibiting transcriptomic and phenotypic similarities to their in vivo counterparts.
As future clinical applications will require testing in non-human primates, we apply a similar strategy to differentiate rhesus iPSCs through fetal germ cell stages into spermatogonia and differentiating spermatogonia.
Together, these platforms provide a foundation for studying primate germ cell lineages and represent a step toward in vitro gametogenesis."

A step toward lab‑grown sperm: Scientists turn stem cells into early sperm cells in a mini‑testis


Graphical abstract


Wednesday, July 08, 2026

Average testosterone levels in men declined by 54% between 1972 and 2019 according to an international study of over 118,000 men

Serious stuff, if confirmed! Of course, climate change needed to be implicated by The Guardian!

Unfortunately, I was not able to find the study e.g. via Google search, Google Scholar, the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine etc. Presumably, this study has not yet been published.

"Average testosterone levels in men declined by 54% between 1972 and 2019, according to data presented this week at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in London; researchers say rising obesity and diabetes are the key drivers but also highlighted endocrine-disrupting chemicals and climate change as potential factors [???]. ..."

"... These findings come from an international study led by Prof. Hagai Levine of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine. ..." (Google search)

Global Health NOW: Pandemic-Era Push for PPE Stalls; and Long Road of Autism Advocacy in Guinea

Sunday, March 08, 2026

Remote work by couples may help boost fertility

Closeness makes a difference! Just one touch away! :-)

Governments of so many countries around the world are struggling to get the birth rate up of their population to counteract e.g. aging populations. How about tax incentives for couples to work from home and their employers? :-)

"A new working paper suggests that remote work may help boost fertility. Using survey data from 38 high- and middle-income countries, the researchers found that couples who work from home at least one day a week have about 0.32 more children on average than those who don’t."

Doomslayer: Progress Roundup

Saturday, February 07, 2026

FDA-approved drug may address a major cause of infertility

Good news! Nice example of drug repurposing!

"Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), in which the ovaries don’t mature and release eggs properly, affects about 3% of women under age 40 and typically causes infertility. But a drug already approved to treat kidney disease may one day help some of these people [women] get pregnant, a research team reports today in Science. ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:
"Editor’s summary
Premature ovarian insufficiency is associated with decreased numbers of ovarian follicles and decreased frequency of menstrual periods before age 40. This occurs in more than 1% of women and leads to what is generally considered to be irreversible infertility. By screening a library of approved drugs, Lin et al. identified a promising candidate in finerenone, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist used for kidney disease ... The authors demonstrated that finerenone decreased ovarian fibrosis in mouse models, facilitating follicular development and improving fertility, and other antifibrotic drugs showed similar effects. In a pilot clinical trial, patients treated with finerenone showed improvement in ovarian function and follicle maturation, some getting as far as in vitro fertilization, all without major side effects or risk of fetal exposure.

Structured Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) affects approximately 1 to 3% of women under the age of 40. It is characterized by symptoms such as oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, sex steroid deficiency, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone levels, and infertility. Currently, no effective treatments exist to restore fertility in patients with POI. This is because ovarian follicular development in these patients is insufficient, typically lacking ultrasound-detectable antral follicles that are hormone-responsive. ...

RATIONALE
... we established a platform and systematically screened 1297 compounds from an FDA-approved drug library and identified finerenone as a safe and potentially effective candidate for treating POI-associated infertility.

RESULTS
We first revealed that finerenone promoted ovarian follicular development in mice, with no observed adverse effects on oocyte quality, early embryonic development, or offspring health.
Furthermore, our pilot clinical trial showed that oral finerenone administration (20 mg, twice weekly) promoted the development of follicles in patients with POI, yielding mature eggs (oocytes) and viable embryos. Mechanistically, we found that finerenone reduced collagen deposition (fibrosis) within aged ovaries, thus reducing the stromal fibrosis-mediated restriction of follicular development and creating a more permissive microenvironment for follicle activation and growth.
Based on these findings, we further identified a series of FDA-approved oral antifibrotic drugs, including nintedanib, ruxolitinib, and other drugs with established antifibrotic activity but based on distinct antifibrotic mechanisms, which were effective in promoting ovarian follicle growth. ... This broader validation across antifibrotic drugs with different mechanisms of action supports the notion that ovarian stromal fibrosis is a central, druggable, pathological condition that suppresses follicle growth in POI.

CONCLUSION
Our findings provide a starting point showing that targeting the ovarian stroma—rather than the follicles themselves—represents an effective therapeutic strategy for POI-related infertility. We propose that alleviating ovarian stromal fibrosis through repurposed antifibrotic drugs, such as finerenone, nintedanib, ruxolitinib, or other FDA-approved oral agents, offers a possible promising intervention for restoring fertility in patients with POI."

FDA-approved drug may address a major cause of infertility | Science | AAAS



Schematic model of finerenone-mediated follicle growth.
Ovarian stromal collagen suppresses the development of small follicles (left), whereas finerenone reduces the fibrotic deposits (right), relieving stromal constraints and thus enabling follicle activation and development.


Saturday, January 17, 2026

How Robot Housekeepers Could Spark a New Baby Boom

An interesting suggestion, but I am not entirely convinced or the new baby boom could be much less than previous baby booms.

Robots that can make the live of the growing population of older humans easier are probably more welcome!

What is wrong with lower global fertility? Maybe not much! Currently, about 8.3 billion humans roam this planet. Maybe too many?

"... There is much disagreement on what caused the 1950s baby boom, but one theory is that the rise of time-saving technologies played a key role. Between the 1920s and 1950s, domestic responsibilities were transformed as the number of households equipped with electric appliances, including refrigerators, stoves, vacuums and washing machines, rose dramatically. The new machines lessened the burden of household labor, freeing up time and making parenthood easier. ..."

How Robot Housekeepers Could Spark a New Baby Boom "The potential of technology to free humanity from the burden of household labor deserves more attention."

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Chinese Men who use plastic tableware have a higher accumulation of microplastics in their semen and lower sperm counts. Really!

Do they mean by plastic tableware chopsticks? Well, I suppose many millions of  Chinese adults and children have used plastic chopsticks eating out of plastic bowls for decades. If it was so bad, then the Chinese population should be significantly reduced due to this.

Alert: Plastophobia is a serious disorder. Please seek immediate medical help! (Caution: satire)

This study is limited to only 200 men visiting the same sperm bank in China.

"Men who use plastic tableware have a higher accumulation of microplastics in their semen and lower sperm counts, finds a study published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology that studied samples from ~200 men of reproductive age in Chongqing, China."

"... This study included 200 men of reproductive age who visited the Chongqing Human Sperm Bank between May 2020 and December 2021. ..."

From the abstract:
"Microplastics (MPs), as emerging contaminants [???], may adversely affect male reproductive health. This study investigated the potential association between MP accumulation in human semen and sperm quality. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms underlying MPs-induced sperm quality impairment were characterized using representative polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), murine models, and spermatogonial cell cultures.
Among 200 semen samples, the overall detection rate of MPs was 55.5% (111/200). A total of 128 MPs were identified in semen, with PS (32.03%) and PVC (36.72%) being the predominant microplastic polymers. Epidemiological analyses revealed a significant positive association between plastic tableware (PT) use frequency and MP accumulation in semen. Stratified analyses further revealed a strong association between total MPs exposure and reduced sperm concentration among individuals with BMI < 24 kg/m² and frequent PT use. In murine models, exposure to PS-MPs induced reduced sperm quality, elevated sperm abnormalities, and increased levels of autophagy and apoptosis. Mechanistically, PS-MPs activated the MAP3K1/p38/c-fos pathway via the transcription factor FOXA1, thereby inducing the autophagy and apoptosis of spermatogonia. Collectively, this study provides direct human evidence that MP accumulation in semen is associated with impaired sperm quality, particularly in individuals with certain lifestyle factors such as frequent PT use. Moreover, our findings further demonstrate the potential reproductive toxicity of MPs and, for the first time, elucidate the critical role of the FOXA1/MAP3K1/p38 cascade in PS-MPs-mediated decline in sperm quality."

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Graphical abstract


Saturday, October 04, 2025

Scientists made human egg cells from skin cells

Amazing stuff! This could be a breakthrough since cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996. 

When will the first human baby be born from an artificial womb outside a woman's body? I bet it could happen within the next 10-20 years.

The Oregon based researchers could not resist to mention "... this method would allow for the possibility of same-sex couples to have a child genetically related to both partners ..."

"Creating human eggs from adult cells just got one step closer to reality.

A technique used in cloning combined with fertilization and a bit of chemical coaxing caused human skin cells to produce eggs able to give rise to early human embryos ...

The effort is the latest attempt to make eggs and sperm from human cells. Researchers have already succeeded in making these important cell types from many types of animals, including pandas. But producing human eggs and sperm has proven elusive. ..."

From the abstract:
"Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) enables the direct reprogramming of somatic cells into functional oocytes, albeit with a diploid genome.
To address ploidy reduction, we investigated an experimental reductive cell division process, termed mitomeiosis, wherein non-replicated (2n2c) somatic genomes are prematurely forced to divide following transplantation into the metaphase cytoplasm of enucleated human oocytes.
However, despite fertilization with sperm, SCNT oocytes remained arrested at the metaphase stage, indicating activation failure.
Artificial activation using a selective cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor successfully bypassed this arrest, inducing the segregation of somatic chromosomes into a zygotic pronucleus and a polar body.
Comprehensive chromosome tracing via sequencing revealed that homologous chromosome segregation occurred randomly and without crossover recombination. Nonetheless, an average of 23 somatic chromosomes were retained within the zygote, demonstrating the feasibility of experimentally halving the diploid chromosome set.
Fertilized human SCNT oocytes progressed through normal embryonic cell divisions, ultimately developing into embryos with integrated somatic and sperm-derived chromosomes. While our study demonstrates the potential of mitomeiosis for in vitro gametogenesis, at this stage it remains just a proof of concept and further research is required to ensure efficacy and safety before future clinical applications."

Scientists made human egg cells from skin cells



Fig. 1: Ploidy reduction by mitomeiosis.


Thursday, September 11, 2025

Chemicals in marijuana may affect women’s fertility positively, but also significantly negatively

Even the occasional use of recreational drugs by women and men may affect fertility and pregnancy in negative ways. Something to be aware of.

"When Canada legalized cannabis in 2018, its effects on human health were all over the news. ... researcher ... wondered how its consumption might affect female fertility. ... there was almost no information on the subject — though there was plenty of data on marijuana’s effects on pregnancy and male fertility.

Chemicals in cannabis may push eggs to become ready for fertilization. But this may come at a cost: more eggs with the wrong number of chromosomes, ... now report in a study published September 9 in Nature Communications. 

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana. It binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain. But these receptors are all over our bodies, including in our reproductive organs.  

The receptors usually bind endocannabinoids, molecules naturally produced by the body and essential for normal bodily functions like the production of eggs and sperm. Consuming THC can affect cannabinoid receptors in the reproductive system. Many studies report that using cannabis decreases sperm count and motility. Men are usually told to avoid cannabis for at least three months before trying to conceive ..."

From the abstract:
"Cannabis consumption and legalization is increasing globally, raising concerns about its impact on fertility.
In humans, we previously demonstrated that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its metabolites reach the ovarian follicle.
An extensive body of literature describes THC’s impact on sperm, however no such studies have determined its effects on the oocyte.
Herein, we investigate the impact of THC on human female fertility through both a clinical and in vitro analysis.
In a case-control study, we show that follicular fluid THC concentration is positively correlated with oocyte maturation and THC-positive patients exhibit significantly lower embryo euploid rates than their matched controls.
In vitro, we observe a similar, but non-significant, increased oocyte maturation rate following THC exposure and altered expression of key genes implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammation, and chromosome segregation. Furthermore, THC induces oocyte chromosome segregation errors and increases abnormal spindle morphology. Finally, this study highlights potential risks associated with cannabis use for female fertility."

Chemicals in marijuana may affect women’s fertility



Fig. 2: Impact of tetrahydrocannabinol exposure on oocyte maturation.


Fig. 4: Impact of tetrahydrocannabinol exposure on oocyte spindle morphology and ploidy status.


Saturday, August 16, 2025

Recapitulating egg and sperm development in the dish for the first time

Amazing stuff!

"... For the first time, they were able to get these cells to start the complex process of meiosis – which is key to creating eggs and sperm – outside the human body.

This breakthrough, published in Science Advances, could one day lead to treatments to fight infertility. ...

However, replicating meiosis outside the human body, which could eventually allow fertility specialists to create healthy gametes for disadvantaged parents, has been extremely challenging.

Now, researchers ... have developed an in vitro method that enables the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) along the path of meiosis. By introducing a cocktail of genes into iPSCs that turn on meiosis-specific gene expression programs, as well as drugs that alter the processing of signals in cells, the team is the first to observe live human cells initiating meiosis outside of the body. ..."

From the abstract:
"Meiotic failure is a major cause of infertility, but the lack of an in vitro model of human meiosis is a barrier to understanding its mechanism.
Here, we establish a method to initiate meiosis directly from male or female human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
DNMT1 inhibition, retinoid signaling activation, and overexpression of regulatory factors (antiapoptotic BCL2 and promeiotic HOXB5, BOLL, or MEIOC) rapidly activates meiosis over a 15-day protocol.
Our protocol bypasses the primordial germ cell stage and directly generates cells expressing genes similar to meiotic oogonia, including oogonia markers, all synaptonemal complex components, and meiotic recombination machinery. DNMT1 inhibition rapidly erases DNA methylation, including at imprinting control regions and promoters of meiotic genes.
Microscopy shows key aspects of meiosis, including chromosome axis formation and synapsis in live human cells. Our model of human meiosis provides opportunities for studying this critical reproductive process under chemically defined conditions in vitro."

Recapitulating egg and sperm development in the dish "New stem cell differentiation method is first to induce meiosis, a critical step in egg and sperm cell development, with potential for drug development and future fertility treatments"



Fig. 4. Time course scRNA-seq analysis of meiosis induction.


Saturday, April 12, 2025

Cofertility's radical model for women: Freeze your eggs for free by donating half of them

An interesting business proposal! Free markets often come up with surprises!

"In recent years, focus on career and delayed marriage age is driving some women to consider preserving their fertility through egg freezing.

But the steep cost of the procedure, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000 per attempt, means many women can’t afford it during their most fertile years: 20s and early 30s.

Cofertility, a startup founded by former Uber executive Lauren Makler and health tech angel investor Halle Tecco, offers women no-cost egg freezing in exchange for donating half the retrieved eggs to those unable to conceive. ..."

Cofertility's radical model for women: Freeze your eggs for free by donating half of them | TechCrunch


Cofertility advertisement


Tuesday, April 01, 2025

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Hormone-free Male birth control clears another regulatory hurdle

Good news! Though, this new medication seems to be slowly acting. It may take weeks to inhibit sperm production.

Turns out, I blogged here already about this same drug, i.e. YourChoice Therapeutics YCT-529, in November of 2022. 😊

"Male birth control that is hormone-free is slated to enter clinical trials after research published in Nature Communications found that the new drug, YCT-529, effectively lowered sperm count in male mice, and was 99% effective in preventing pregnancies."

"... While the FDA has approved over 20 different categories of contraceptives, only two are available for men to prevent pregnancy in their partners — condoms and vasectomies. 25% of women who use contraception use an oral birth control pill, but there are no equivalent methods currently available for men.  ..."

From the abstract:
"Background
The retinoic acid receptor alpha (Rarα) has been validated as a male contraceptive target by genetic knockouts resulting in male sterility. The effects on spermatogenesis in the absence of RARα resemble the loss of RAR signaling in vitamin A deficiency, and the mice are otherwise normal. The effects on spermatogenesis in animals treated orally with the dual RARα/RARγ antagonist BMS-189453 closely phenocopies the absence of RARα function. Notably, the resulting male sterility is reversible. We, therefore, wished to identify RARα−selective inhibitors for potential male non-hormonal contraception.

Methods
YCT-529 was investigated for RARα selective inhibition, physicochemical characteristics, oral bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic properties in mice and non-human primates. It was assessed in mouse mating trials to determine the most effective dosing regimen to induce infertility in male mice and in male non-human primates to reduce sperm levels.

Results
Characterization of YCT-529 shows suitable biochemical, physicochemical, and pharmacokinetic properties for in vivo testing. 
YCT-529 inhibits mouse fertility of male mice within 4 weeks of oral administration, correlating with disrupted spermatogenesis demonstrating specific inhibition of the RARα pathway.
Within 6 weeks after cessation of dosing, mouse fertility reverses.
Furthermore, YCT-529 inhibits sperm production in a non-human primate model within 2 weeks of oral dosing without adverse side effects. Within 10–15 weeks after cessation of dosing, non-human primates’ sperm counts fully reverses.

Conclusions
These results lay the groundwork for evaluating YCT-529 in human clinical trials."

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Fig. 6: Decrease and recovery of sperm counts and unchanged hormone levels in cynomolgus monkeys.




Tuesday, March 04, 2025

Scientists discover how a naturally occurring mechanism hampers fertility

Good news!

"... Some of these problems stem from failures in the proper recognition, adhesion, and fusion of sperm and an egg. A key part of the process involves IZUMO1, a protein on the surface of sperm cells, and JUNO, a receptor on the egg. The IZUMO1-JUNO connection enables sperm and egg recognition and fusion. ...

For the study, the researchers analyzed the X-ray crystal structure of IZUMO1 as it came in contact with OBF13. The researchers found that OBF13 attaches itself to sperm in such a way that it reconfigures the way sperm come into contact with an egg. The analysis also identified a high-affinity (tightly bonding) variant of OBF13 that potently blocks egg-sperm fertilization.

In addition, the researchers identified key amino acid sites on JUNO that define its ability to bind with IZUMO1. When accessed, these sites are able to bind sperm and egg for fertilization despite interference from OBF13 or its variant.

“In this work, we are reporting the first anti-sperm antibody-antigen complex structure,” Tang said. “We provide high-resolution information that will open avenues for discovering IZUMO1 regulators, guide antibody and small-molecule inhibitor design, and support drug screening for contraceptive development.” ..."

Scientists discover how a naturally occurring mechanism hampers fertility | Yale News "A new Yale study describes a key mechanism that blocks egg-sperm fertilization."

P.S. Unfortunately, the article does not contain neither the title of the study nor a link to the study.

Sunday, December 22, 2024

First Live Birth Using Procedure That Matures Eggs Outside Body

How long will will we still need women uteruses and conventional pregnancy anymore to reproduce? My guess, it will happen in the next 20-40 years.

The next question would be how long will there be two human sexes or sexual reproduction? My guess, the distinction of two human sexes will be rather insignificant by the end of this century.

Notice, this was apparently introduced in Peru not in any Western country!

"Gameto, a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing treatment option in women’s health, announced today the world’s first live human birth using Fertilo, an ovarian support cell (OSC) technology that matures eggs outside the body. The delivery was conducted at Santa Isabel Clinic, in Lima, Peru.

With nearly half of the women in the US never reaching their maternity goals, there is an urgent need for innovation. Unlike traditional methods, which rely on 10-14 days of high-dose hormonal stimulation to mature eggs, Fertilo uses engineered, young ovarian support cells to recreate the natural egg maturation process in a laboratory setting. This process replaces 80% of hormone injections required with traditional IVF, and reduces the duration of treatment cycles to just three days, offering patients a more comfortable and less invasive experience."

First Live Birth Using Procedure That Matures Eggs Outside Body - Human Progress

Gameto Announces World’s First Live Birth Using Fertilo Procedure that Matures Eggs Outside the Body (is this an article or advertisement or business promotion? It is a business press release!) "- Breakthrough ovarian support cell technology eliminates approximately 80% of hormone injections required with conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Reduces risks such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and alleviates side-effects caused by high hormone doses"


Clinica Santa Isabel (unfortunately, all in Spanish; will somebody please convince Latin Americans to publish more in English instead of exclusively Spanish!)



Fertilo uses ovarian support cells to mature oocytes outside of the body with the goal of improving IVF and egg freezing.


Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Russia Mulls “Ministry of Sex”, Bans "Child-Free Propaganda" and about other countries with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! But what is wrong with a low fertility rate in many countries?
Is the world not overpopulated (this issue was not mentioned in the video) with about 8 billion humans? Would it not e.g. improve the claimed "climate change" if there were fewer humans?

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Ovulation filmed from start to finish for the first time | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Amazing stuff!

"Approximately 400 times in a woman's life, a mature egg makes the “leap.” It is released into the fallopian tube, ready for fertilization by the sperm. Researchers ... have now succeeded in visualizing the entire process of ovulation in mouse follicles in real-time. The new live imaging method developed by the team allows for the process to be studied with high spatial and temporal resolution, contributing to new insights in fertility research. ...

Ovulation is regulated by a complex interplay of hormones, yet the actual process of ovulation remains poorly understood. The ovary lies deep within the body, making it experimentally challenging to access. Additionally, ovulation occurs within a very narrow time frame, and it cannot be predicted which of the two ovaries will release the next follicle.

The research team has now succeeded in observing the entire ovulation process in isolated ovarian follicles from mice under the microscope with high spatial and temporal resolution. “We can distinguish three phases,” ... “The follicle expands, contracts, and finally releases the egg.” ..."

Ovulation filmed from start to finish for the first time | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft "New imaging data reveal that the follicle expands, contracts, and finally releases the egg"