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Sperm created from mice embryonic stem cells - Source: BBC -
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British scientists claim they have created artificial human sperm and New Zealand fertility experts are excited that the breakthrough may enable infertile men to father children.
Male infertility is a growing problem for Kiwi men with one in 10 men suffering some degree of infertility.
The average sperm count in the 1980s was 110 million per millilitre whereas now it is approximately 50 million.
"There are a group of people who have very few sperm or no sperm at all so they cannot use reproductive technology like In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and must use donor spermn if they want to have children. This potential technology would offer them the chance of being fathers themselves" says NZ fertility expert John Peeks.
British researchers say it will be at least five years before sperm made in a lab from stem cells can be used to create children as the technique needs to be thoroughly tested.
Some New Zealand experts have ethical concerns about where the research will lead.
"One thing that may be done with this is that it opens the possibility to genetic modification of human beings which I think is extremely dangerous" says Dr David King of Human Genetics.
There is also doubt over the viability of the reported breakthrough. Three years ago mice were created from artificial sperm but all had health problems and subsequently died.
"I think it is a very long way from being part of conventional medicine and may never be part of conventional medicine," says Richard Fisher, a fertility expert.
If the technique is perfected then laws in UK and New Zealand will have to be revised to allow laboratory sperm to create life.
