'Miracle baby' conceived from 22-year-old sperm

A Canadian couple successfully conceived a baby boy after using sperm that had been stored 22 years, two months and two weeks - a likely record for Canadian fertility treatment. The longest-known storage period for sperm resulting in a live birth is 28 years, according to a 2005 data report in the American journal Fertility and Sterility. Jacek was born in Langley, Canada on 1 November 2007 thanks to Mike Kuzminski's discovery that a Calgary clinic, where he had stored sperm years ago prior to cancer treatment which rendered him infertile, had continued to store his sperm despite no contact or payment from Kuzminski in 22 years.Kuzminski, now a 43-year-old, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at 18. Because chemo and radiotherapy treatment caused 20 per cent of patients to become infertile in the 1980's - a risk that is significantly lower today - his doctor recommended that Kuzminski freeze his sperm. He did and then underwent three years of on-and-off treatment that led to his later-confirmed infertility. When he and his wife Kristin married in 2003, they had accepted that they would not be able to have children. Kuzminski had since forgotten he had frozen sperm before his treatment years ago until his sister reminded him. 'I had assumed that after 15 or 20 years the hospital had gotten rid of my sperm', he said but instead surprisingly found that the clinic had kept it and he owed Rs. 90,000 in storage fees.
Kuzminski seems to have benefited from Canada's current policy indecision regarding gamete storage time-limit guidelines for abandoned frozen sperm. He would not have been so lucky in the UK, where gametes are stored for a maximum of ten years, now with the option to request a five year extension.
Despite great anxiety regarding use of a limited supply of sperm and low success rates of fertility treatments, Jacek was born after undergoing only two intra-uterine insemination (IUI) procedures. They have enough sperm remaining for 19 more attempts but are focusing on their new parenthood and postponing consideration of whether they will try to have another child.

Insulin-secreting cells produced by stem cells

Scientists in the US have derived insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and have successfully implanted them into mice. The achievement, reported last week in the journal Nature Biotechnology, could help push forward research into therapies for diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, and some forms of type 2 diabetes, are caused by a deficiency of pancreatic beta cells. These are cells that produce insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose levels, and are part of clusters of hormone-producing cells in the pancreas called the islets of Langerhans. The disease is characterised by a lack of insulin and subsequent misregulation of blood glucose, a condition that can be fatal. Diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the US, with 200,000 deaths reported per year.
The scientists at Novocell Inc. in San Diego, led by Dr Emmanuel E. Baetge, the chief scientific officer, derived immature precursor pancreatic beta cells from hESCs. They then implanted them into mice whose own beta cells had been destroyed by chemical treatment. After 90 days, the mice had switched the precursor cells into mature beta cells that produced insulin again, which helped control blood glucose. The implanted cells were said to be 'functionally and morphologically similar' to normal beta cells.Transplanting human islet cells into diabetic patients from donated pancreases has been proven to help treat the symptoms of diabetes, but this technique relies upon donations, of which there is not a consistent supply. There is also a risk of transplanting infected or contaminated cells. The new technology could provide a readily available and renewable bank of clean cells for treatment when the patient needed it.
The scientists say that there is a long way to go before this can be taken into humans. There are safety issues still apparent as some of the mice in the study developed tumours, called 'teratomas'. Some critics are also concerned with whether the transplanted hESC derived cells would be destroyed by the recipient's body, just as their own original beta cells were.Experts, however, are in no doubt that this is an exciting advancement. 'This for the first time validates that you can use human embryonic stem cells to produce fully functional human islets', says Dr Baetge.

Husband discovered he was a father of two after estranged wife forged his signature in IVF deception

A UK man has two children he did not know existed, born after his estranged wife conceived using the IVF embryos they had created together, the Sunday Times has reported. The couple were treated for infertility at Bourn Hall clinic, near Cambridge, and the resulting embryos - created using the man's sperm - were frozen. Following the couple's separation, the woman forged her husband's signature on consent forms so that she could have the embryos thawed and returned to her womb, becoming pregnant on two separate occasions.
UK law states that consent from both parties is needed for the continued storage of frozen embryos, or for their use. However, although clinics must have written permission from the father to use an embryo created using his sperm, there is no requirement for him to attend in person. Muiris Lyons, a partner in the law firm Irwin Mitchell, commented that 'This is the first case of its kind that I have been aware of and it underlines the importance of IVF clinics ensuring they obtain proper consent'.
The husband only became aware of the children's existence when one became seriously ill, and a relative contacted him to break the news. He has since sought legal advice about suing the clinic, according to the Sunday Times. Dr Kamal Ahuja, director of the London Women's Clinic, said that they almost had a similar case two years ago - they were about to implant embryos into a woman when they discovered she had lied to them about her husband's consent. 'We were almost hoodwinked and I would imagine this is not rare', he said.
The current situation is in stark contrast to that of Natallie Evans, the UK woman who last year lost her European court appeal to use stored frozen embryos against the wishes of her former partner. Ms Evans underwent IVF with Howard Johnston in 2001, before Ms Evans had treatment for ovarian cancer that left her infertile. Mr Johnston later withdrew his consent for the six embryos to be used when the couple split up. In April 2007, the Grand Chamber of the European Court ruled unanimously that there had been no breach of the right to life (Article 2) of the European Convention on Human Rights. On the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8) and the prohibition of discrimination (Article 14), the judges ruled 13 to four against Ms Evans.

Test-Tube Babies Start Inside Mom, Thanks to Anecova Silicon Womb

Human trials are about to begin on a new device that goes inside a woman's body for up to four days, holding fresh IVF embryos in place like an artificial fallopian tube. Developed by Swiss company Anecova, the 5mm-long "silicon womb" is pierced with hundreds of 40-micron holes, the better to expose the embryos to the natural environment of the uterus, rather than having to be developed artificially in an incubator. Scientists hope this will improve the chances of successful pregnancy from in-vitro fertilization.

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Sperm damage 'passed to children'

Sperm defects caused by exposure to environmental toxins can be passed down the generations, research suggests. Scientists say fathers who smoke and drink should be aware they are potentially not just damaging themselves, but also their heirs. Tests on rats showed sperm damage caused by exposure to garden chemicals remained up to four generations later. The US study was presented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It suggests that a father's health plays a greater role in the health of future generations than has been thought. A team from the University of Idaho in Moscow tested the effects of a hormone-disrupting fungicide chemical called vinclozolin on embryonic rats. The chemical altered genes in the sperm, including a number associated with human prostate cancer. Rats exposed to it show signs of damage and overgrowth of the prostate, infertility and kidney problems.The defects were also present in animals four generations on. The scientists admitted that the rats were exposed to very high levels of vinclozolin.

But they argued that their work shows that once toxins cause defects in sperm they can be passed down the generations. Professor Cynthia Daniels, from Rutgers University in New Jersey, said men who drank a lot of alcohol had been shown to have increased rates of sperm defects; and nicotine from tobacco found its way into seminal fluid as well as blood.Professor Daniels said: "We need to open up our eyes and look at the evidence. "My advice to young couples would be moderation. Substances that have an impact on reproduction are often also carcinogenic. "If I was a young man I would not drink very heavily and not smoke two packets of cigarettes a day while I was trying to conceive a child."

Professor Neil McClure, a fertility expert at Queen's University Belfast, UK, said the DNA in sperm cells was more tightly packed than in other cells, and so, to some extent, was protected from damage. However, once sperm cell DNA was damaged, it had no mechanism by which to effect repairs. He said: "There is no doubt that if you smoke like a chimney or drink vast amounts of alcohol it will result in sperm damage, and probably damage in the DNA of the sperm. "My advice to any man trying for a baby would be to lead as healthy a lifestyle as possible."