TIME Science fertility Scientists Use Skin Cells to Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs Getty Images The feat could help patients with fertility problems

British scientists from Cambridge have succeeded in using skin cells to create primitive forms of artificial sperm and eggs.

The feat could transform fertility treatment and our understanding of age-related diseases, the Guardian reports.

Scientists created the early sex cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days in controlled conditions.

They then showed that by following the same procedure they could convert adult skin tissue into early-stage sperm and eggs, raising the likelihood of using sex cells that genetically match a patient undergoing IVF treatment.

The scientists believe these cells have the potential could grow into mature sperm and eggs, something that has never been done in a lab before.

[The Guardian]

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Scientists Use Skin Cells to Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs

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The competition for Maryland's stem cell research grants will be stiffer than ever as applications flood in next month, forcing officials to be more selective even as scientists worry that the state's fiscal problems and a new administration in Annapolis may mean smaller budgets in the future.

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission received a record 240 letters declaring intent to apply for $10.4 million in grants, officials said this month. While the majority came from researchers, more than a dozen came from startups and other companies and half a dozen for work testing therapies on humans proof that the 8-year-old program is boosting the state's biotechnology industry, officials said.

But that also means the state likely will reject more applications for the grants than in previous years. And with no funding promises from Gov.-elect Larry Hogan and state budget cuts looming, researchers worry there will be less to go around in 2016 and beyond.

The uncertainty comes just as advancements in stem cell science are making more research possible, threatening progress in Maryland even as other states surge forward, researchers said.

"In California, they have $3 billion. Here, we have $10 million a year. It is very hard," said Ricardo Feldman, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Not all of us who have exciting results are going to get it, and some of us who do not get funding will not be able to continue what we started, and that will be very sad."

At an annual symposium on state-funded stem cell research this month, state stem cell commission officials said they received letters of intent from a record 16 companies as well as seven proposals for clinical work and 144 proposals for "translational" work research that aims to turn basic science into viable therapies. Applications are due Jan. 15.

Historically, the awards have gone more for university research and projects that are still at least a few steps away from being used in hospitals, but the surge in commercial and clinical work is a product of the state's long-term commitment to the grants, said Dan Gincel, the stem cell research fund's executive director.

The grants help research projects advance to a stage where they can attract backers like drug companies or other for-profit investors, who are more discriminating in the projects they support since many end up going nowhere.

"A long-term commitment is extra important for something so high-risk," Gincel said. "You gain trust that this is going somewhere."

There aren't many investors for researchers to turn to early on, said Jennifer Elisseeff, a professor of biomedical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University who has been part of teams receiving $920,000 in state grants over the past two years. She and colleagues are exploring how to stimulate stem cells to regrow tissues, a project she called "kind of basic science-y but also very applied."

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Record competition for stem cell grants means tough choices for state officials

Hard road: Cooper Densley gets a kiss from mother Olivia as brothers Jackson (left), and Fletcher play around him with father Andrew (right). Photo: Simon O'Dwyer

Santa Claus delivered some wonderful gifts to Cooper Densley this year, but none of them compare to one he received from his brother Jackson in October.

In a potentially life-saving exchange, Jackson Densley, 2, donated stem cells found in his bone marrow to his older brother Cooper, 4, three months ago.

Their parents,Oliviaand AndrewDensley, are hoping the transplant will help cure Cooper of a rare genetic condition he was diagnosed with last year: Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome.

The disorder weakens the immune system, leaving sufferers vulnerable to infections, and it reduces the production of platelets - blood cells that keep bleeding under control.

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It means children suchasCooper can get extremely sick from common coughs and colds and a knock to the head while playing sport could trigger fatal bleeding in the brain.

The only known treatment is a stem cell transplant which can be derived from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood from a healthy donor whose tissue matches that of the recipient. When those cells are put in to the recipient's bloodstream, they can develop into normal immune cells and platelets.

Without a donation, the average life expectancy for people with the condition is 15 to 20 years.

Shortly after Mr and MrsDensleywere told about Cooper's diagnosis in 2013, MrsDensleyfell pregnant with their fifth baby, prompting hope blood from their newborn's umbilical cord could provide stem cells for Cooper.

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Brother's transplant holds the gift of life for Densley family

CORDLIFE is now the largest network of private cord blood banks in Asia Pacific with state-of-the-art cord-blood and tissue processing and cryopreservation facilities in the country.

Once considered a medical waste, the blood left in the umbilical cordthe part of the placenta that delivers nutrients to a fetusafter a baby is delivery is now known to be a rich source of blood-forming stem cells.

These cells have been found to be potentially useful in treating diseases that require stem cell transplants (also called bone marrow transplants) such as certain kinds of leukemia or lymphoma, aplastic anemia (a blood disorder in which the bodys bone marrow doesnt make enough new blood cells), severe sickle cell disease and severe combined immunodeficiency.

Unlike with bone marrow, which is obtained through a painful medical procedure, there is only one chance to collect this seemingly precious stuff: immediately after the babys birth.

This is why a number of expectant parents in the country are being offered a chance to save stem cells from their babys umbilical cord blood via what is known as cord-blood banking.

Safeguard

Cordlife Philippines medical director Arvin Faundo said: Its a type of safeguard because the genetically unique stem cells have current and potential uses in medical treatment. No parent wishes his/her child to experience the heartbreaking effects of any illness. What we at Cordlife offer them is the chance to prepare for potential eventualitiesto secure the future well-being and happiness of their family.

Cordlife Philippines is a subsidiary of Cordlife Group Ltd., a company listed on the Singapore Exchange. Launched in February 2010 as the Philippines first and only cord-blood processing and cryopreservation facility, its facility was ISO-certified and built in accordance to global gold standards such as the American Association of Blood Banks.

The 365-day facility, located within UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub in Quezon City, is equipped with the worlds most advanced fully automated cord-blood processing system, the Swiss-made Sepax.

CordLife uses the US FDA-approved cryogenic storage pouch.

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Freezing newborns own stem cells for possible future use

Dr. Murray Howe and his hockey great father, Gordie Howe, on a fishing trip in Saskatchewan in 2013.

Hockey legend Gordie Howe is making a dramatic recovery from a serious stroke thanks to stem cell therapy developed by San Diego-based Stemedica, his family says. Some medical scientists aren't so sure, however.

Howe, 86, suffered the stroke in late October, leaving him unable to walk and disoriented. He began improving within hours after receiving the stem cells in early December, said Dr. Murray Howe, a radiologist and one of Howes sons. For example, Howe insisted on walking to the bathroom, which he previously could not do.

"If I did not witness my father's astonishing response, I would not have believed it myself," Murray Howe said by email Thursday. "Our father had one foot in the grave on December 1. He could not walk, and was barely able to talk or eat."

"Our father's progress continues," the email continued. "Today, Christmas, I spoke with him on FaceTime. I asked him what Santa brought him. He said 'A headache.' I told him I was flying down to see him in a week. He said, 'Thanks for the warning.'"

Howe is receiving speech and physical therapy at his home in Lubbock, Texas, and his therapists say he is much better than before receiving the stem cells.

Howe received the treatment from Novastem, a Mexican stem cell company that has licensed the use of Stemedica's cells for clinical trials approved by the Mexican government. Howe was given neural stem cells to help his brain repair damage, and stem cells derived from bone marrow to improve blood circulation in the brain. The procedure took place at Novastem's Clinica Santa Clarita in Tijuana.

Such use of unproven stem cell therapies outside the U.S. clinical trial system draws objections from some American health care professionals. They warn of the potential for abuse, say there's a lack of rigorous scientific standards, and call for tighter federal regulation of the proliferation of stem cell treatments.

Nevertheless, patients with ailments that don't response to approved treatments continue to seek such care. These patients and families say they have the right to make their own judgments. And they may not have time to wait for proof, so they're willing to take a chance.

Stemedica says it follows U.S. government law, and requires those licensing its stem cells in foreign countries to obey the laws of those countries.

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Did stem cells really help Gordie Howe?

British scientists have been successful in creating primitive forms of artificial sperms and eggs from human skin cells, marking an achievement that could not only transform the understanding of age- and sex-related diseases but also come as a boon for infertile couples, according to media reports. The breakthrough comes two years after scientists in Japan successfully demonstrated the technique by creating baby mice from stem cells.

The scientists from the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, working in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute in Israel, initially created the primordial germ cells normally found within testes and ovaries using human embryonic stem cells cultured in carefully controlled conditions. After initial success, the researchers reportedly replicated the procedure using adult cells extracted from human skin.

This is the first step in demonstrating that we can make primordial germ cells without putting them into patients to verify they are genuine, Azim Surani of the University of Cambridge, reportedly said. Its not impossible that we could take these cells on towards making gametes (fully developed male and female sex cells), but whether we could ever use them is another question for another time.

Although the development of these primordial germ cells could have important implications for infertile couples looking to have kids through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), scientists also hope to study these cells for clues to age-related diseases.

With age, people not only accumulate genetic mutations, but other changes known as epigenetic changes, which do not affect the underlying DNA sequence. These changes can be caused by smoking, exposure to certain chemicals in the environment, or diet and other lifestyle factors. The development of artificial primordial germ cells, which are stripped clean of the chemicals surrounding the DNA, could offer a better understanding of these epigenetic changes that contribute to ageing and diseases like cancer.

Its not just about making sperm and eggs for infertility, which would be good, but it also has implications for germ-cell tumors as well as the understanding of epigenetic reprogramming, which is quite unique, Suranireportedly said. This is really the foundation for future work.

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Precursors To Human Sperms And Eggs Created, For The First Time, With Skin Cells

A group of scientists has created artificial human sperm and eggs using human embryonic stem cells and skin cells. While researchers have already previously accomplished this using rodents, this is the first time they were able to replicate the process with human cells.

Their final products were not actually working sperm and eggs, but rather germ cells that potentially could mature and become viable for fertility. The study's findings were published Wednesday in the journal Cell.

"Germ cells are 'immortal' in the sense that they provide an enduring link between all generations, carrying genetic information from one generation to the next," Azim Surani, PhD, professor of physiology and reproduction at the University of Cambridge, said in a press release.

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Sperm wear hard hats and live for days? It's true, and that's just the beginning...

When an egg is fertilized by a sperm, it begins to divide into a group of cells called a blastocyst, which is the stage right before the embryo is formed. Some of the cells inside this blastocyst cluster will develop into a fetus, while others eventually become the placenta.

Some cells are set up to become stem cells, which will then have the potential to develop into any type of cell in the body. And some cells in the fetus become primordial germ cells and eventually evolve into the cells of either sperm or eggs, which will allow this offspring to pass their genes on to a future generation.

In the study, the researchers identified a single gene known as SOX17, which is directly responsible for ordering human stem cells to become the cells that will turn into sperm and eggs. The scientists say this discovery on its own is surprising, because this gene is not involved in the creation of primordial cells in rodents. In humans, the SOX17 gene is also involved in helping to develop cells of the lungs, gut and pancreas.

The scientists harvested these cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days. They then showed that the same process could be replicated using adult skin cells.

This doesn't mean men and women will soon be donating skin cells rather than sperm and egg at fertility clinics. Eventually, however, the findings could open the door to more intensive research on human genetics and certain cancers, and could impact fertility treatments sometime in the future.

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Scientists create artificial human eggs and sperm

Primordial germ cells could be produced using adult skin cells.

Using human embryonic stem cells, scientists have produced primordial germ cells that will become sperm and egg in a major breakthrough from the University of Cambridge.

In nature, primordial germ cells are created just after fertilization, during the pre-embryonic phase when cells divide and become a ball of cells called a blastocyst.

Although it doesnt have arms and legs yet, these primordial germ cells know how the being will develop and are already equipped to pass forward its genetic information to the offspring it will produce in the future.

Germ cells are immortal in the sense that they provide an enduring link between all generations, carrying genetic information from one generation to the next, adds Professor Asim Surani of the Gurdon Institute.

Professor Surani and his team also demonstrated that primordial germ cells could be produced using adult skin cells.

Although scientists have, in the past, created primordial germ cells of rodents using their embryonic stem cells, the current study marks the first time they managed to do so for humans.

The findings not only have implications in the field of infertility, they will be useful in the study of whats called epigenetic inheritance, which could lead to treatments for age-related diseases.

Epigenetic inheritance refers to the effects on our genes produced by the environment, examples of which include the effects of smoking or our diets that can be passed down to offspring.

Professor Surani and his colleagues demonstrated that during the specification stage, the environmental consequences on our genes are mostly neutralized except for a small part that is not yet fully understood.

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Science takes a step towards new treatment for infertility

December 26, 2014

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Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Somewhat by accident, researchers at Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered a connection between the bodys immune system and hair loss a discovery that could eventually lead to a molecular treatment for baldness.

According to a new study in the journal PLOS Biology, immune system cells called macrophages, which gobble up and destroy invading pathogens, have a stimulating effect on skin stem cells and hair growth.

The restorative capability of stem cells permits skin re-growth, but various factors can cut their restorative properties or activate the uncontrolled growth seen in cancerous tissues. The new study may have further ramifications beyond potential hair loss treatment, potentially in the field of cancer research.

The connection between macrophages and hair follicles began the research on anti-inflammatory drugs. CINO scientists found that an anti-inflammatory treatment also reactivated hair growth and this accidental discovery led them to examine interactions between stem cells and cells that cause inflammation as part of an immune response.

The CINO team eventually found that when stem cells are inactive, some macrophages die as a result of process known as apoptosis. The process stimulates the release a number of factors that activate stem cells, causing hair to grow again.

The study team investigated a particular class of proteins released by macrophages called Wnt by treating macrophages with a Wnt-inhibitor substance contained within liposomes. The team saw that after they used this drug, the triggering of hair growth was delayed. Even though this study was performed in mice, the scientists believe their discovery may help in the progression of novel care treatments for hair growth in humans.

The potential for attacking one kind of cell to affect a different one might have broader uses beyond simply growing hair, the researchers said. They added that the use of liposomes for drug delivery is also a promising method of experimentation, which may have ramifications for the study of other pathologies.

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Immune system may hold key to curing baldness

At Stem Cell Treatment Institute advanced stem cell procedures are performed at some of the most scientifically advanced hospitals in the world. Our Heart Disease treatment differs from standard methods by attacking the root cause inside the heart. Stem cell therapy is focused on affecting physical changes in the heart that can improve a patient's quality of life.

Most Heart Failure patients are treated by IV; injecting the stem cells into the blood which transports them up the heart.

Another procedure, by which the stem cells are surgically implanted directly into the heart, with angiography is also available.

Treatment using Bone Marrow Stem Cells First bone marrow is collected from the patient's iliac crest (hip bone) using thin-needle puncture under local anesthesia. Once the bone marrow collection is complete, patients may return to their hotel and go about normal activities.

The stem cells are then processed in a state-of-the-art laboratory. In the lab, both the quantity and quality of the stem cells are measured.

The stem cells are then implanted back into the patient by IV or surgical implantation.

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As we age our stem cells become less prolific and less effective. For this reason younger cells are often preferred. We do not need to go all the way back to an early stage embryo to get young cells. Young cells can be used from The Placenta, or Umbilical Cord (cord blood cells), and other young sources. These young cells are more likely than stem cells found in adult sources like bone marrow and adipose tissue (fat) to have proliferative properties. This means that stem cells found in placenta and cord blood have a greater ability to regenerate. In some counrties (US and Europe) requlations limit access to these advanced stem cell sources. Fortunately our International Health Department Permit, a COFEPRIS, is on a Presidential level, insuring access to the highest level of quality stem cells.

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Stem Cell Treatment for Heart Disease

HEART DISEASE & HEART ATTACK Helped With Your OWN STEM CELLS Watch these Heart Repair VIDEOS .. and Review All your Stem Cell Options for Heart Attacks

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Heart disease patients with clogged arteries and severe chest pain who were injected with stem cells from their own bone marrow had a small improvement in blood flow and the pumping ability of their hearts, along with an easing of pain, researchers found.

Doctors in the Netherlands drew bone marrow from the hips of heart disease patients in the study. After isolating the stem cells, they injected them back into the patients hearts and monitored their progress. The results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.(JAMA)

Go HERE and see a VIDEO of HOW your OWN Adult Stem cells repair your Body)...

FACT : To treat a range of conditions, and several thousand heart disease patients have been treated with adult stem cells, those found in mature organs. While some cardiologists originally hoped bone marrow cells might generate new heart muscle to replace damaged tissue, that hasnt been found to occur, said Warren Sherman, a cardiologist at Columbia University in New York.

The focus has shifted, said Sherman, in a telephone interview today. Cardiologists are now hoping that bone marrow stem cells can promote the growth of new blood vessels and improve the quality of life and level of chest pain patients have. The new study, in 50 heart disease patients, showed that adult stem cells can improve blood flow and ease chest pain, Sherman said. In the study, half of the heart disease patients got their own stem cells and the others got a simulated treatment. The cardiologists used a catheter, a thin wire threaded through their arteries that also carried a small camera to guide the injections. Go Review and investigate healthy heart and heart wellness stem cell options HERE

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heart disease helped with own Adult Stem Cells and Stem ...

Cambridge researchers turned stem cells into precursors of egg and sperm Scientists believe the precursors could then grow into mature sex cells It means genetically-identical sex cells could be used in future IVF therapy

By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline

Published: 16:10 EST, 24 December 2014 | Updated: 10:51 EST, 25 December 2014

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Researchers have used skin cells to make primitive artificial sperm and eggs in a move that could transform fertility treatment.

Scientists in Cambridge made the sex cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days under carefully-controlled conditions.

They then showed that the same process can convert adults' skin tissue into early-stage sperm and eggs.

Scientists have made primitive artificial sperm and eggs which could transform fertility treatment. Pictured: A single sperm being injected directly into an egg during IVF (file picture)

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Scientists use skin cells to make artificial primitive sperm and eggs

FAT STEM CELL COMBINED/ Stem Cell Therapy
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells derived from the patients own fat provides a rich source of adult mesenchymal stem cells as demonstrated by Dr. Hong in this sessi...

By: Kab S. Hong M.D.

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FAT STEM CELL COMBINED/ Stem Cell Therapy - Video

The Newport Beach Stem Cell Treatment Center provides cutting-edge care for patients with a wide variety of degenerative disorders using adult stem cell regenerative therapy. Our highly trained physicians and medical team are focused on providing you with the most innovative techniques and advanced procedures for harvesting and deploying adult stem cells from your own fat. We are also committed to clinical research and the advancement of regenerative medicine.

We are dedicated to the principles of personalized patient care and individualized attention. Our plastic surgeon, a pioneer in liposuction, and topnotch team of registered nurses and technicians are experienced in harvesting and deploying adult stem stems. In addition, our comfortable in-office surgery center is fully accredited by the Institute for Medical Quality, a division of the California Medical Association. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible care in a friendly and professional atmosphere.

Fat is the bodys most abundant repository of adult stem cells, containing thousands of times more stem cells than bone marrow. New technologies at the Newport Beach Stem Cell Treatment Center make it possible for us to remove a few ounces of a patients fat through liposuction, separate out the stem cells in a special process that yields extremely high numbers of viable cells, and return them back into the patients body via IV or injection. Performed in a physicians office under sedation and local anesthesia and using a sterile closed system technology (so the cells never come into contact with the environment), there is minimal discomfort and risk of infection. And because the cells come from the patients own body, there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission.

Posted by Mark Baldwin on Nov 28, 2012 in Cardiac / Pulmonary

Posted by Mark Baldwin on Nov 28, 2012 in Cardiac / Pulmonary

Posted by Mark Baldwin on Nov 28, 2012 in Cardiac / Pulmonary

Posted by Mark Baldwin on Nov 28, 2012 in Cardiac / Pulmonary

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Newport Beach Stem Cell Treatment Center - Stem Cell ...

London, Dec 24 (IANS):In what could facilitate the development of novel treatment strategies for hair growth in humans, researchers have found that immune cells involved in wound healing can induce hair growth by surrounding and activating skin stem cells.

"We have discovered that macrophages -- cells whose main function is traditionally attributed to fight infections and wound repair -- are also involved in the activation of hair follicle stem cells in non-inflamed skin," said Mirna Perez-Moreno from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO).

Although this study was carried out in mice, the researchers believe their discovery may lead to new treatment for hair growth in humans.

The researchers found that mice started to regrow hair when they were given anti-inflammatory drugs.

They observed that when skin cells are dormant, a fraction of macrophages die naturally due to a normal process called apoptosis.

But the dying and surviving cells activated nearby stem cells and hair began to grow again.

Macrophages secrete a number of factors including a class of signalling molecules called Wnts.

Importantly, when the researchers treated macrophages with a Wnt inhibitor drug, the activation of hair growth was delayed, demonstrating a role for Wnts from macrophages in promoting hair growth.

The discovery that immune cells called macrophages activate skin stem cells could also influence technologies with potential applications in tissue regeneration, ageing, and cancer, the researchers noted.

The study appeared in the journal PLOS Biology.

Excerpt from:
Immune cells spur hair growth

Cambridge researchers turned stem cells into precursors of egg and sperm Scientists believe the precursors could then grow into mature sex cells It means genetically-identical sex cells could be used in future IVF therapy

By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline

Published: 16:10 EST, 24 December 2014 | Updated: 16:42 EST, 24 December 2014

96 shares

115

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Researchers have used skin cells to make primitive artificial sperm and eggs in a move that could transform fertility treatment.

Scientists in Cambridge made the sex cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days under carefully-controlled conditions.

They then showed that the same process can convert adults' skin tissue into early-stage sperm and eggs.

Scientists have made primitive artificial sperm and eggs which could transform fertility treatment. Pictured: A single sperm being injected directly into an egg during IVF (file picture)

Read the rest here:
Scientists use skin cells to make artificial primitive sperm and eggs in move that could transform fertility treatment

Researchers have cracked the code of how hair growth is activated Key was cells usually used to fight invading pathogens in the body

By Mark Prigg for MailOnline

Published: 18:41 EST, 24 December 2014 | Updated: 19:19 EST, 24 December 2014

Researchers claim to have cracked the code of how hair growth is activated.

They say the discovery could have implications for baldness treatments in humans.

Researchers were able to pinpoint the signals from the skin cells that activate hair growth.

The discovery could have implications for baldness treatments in humans, as researchers were able to pinpoint the signals from the skin cells that activate hair growth.

Macrophages are cells from the immune system that are in charge of devouring invading pathogens, a process called phagocytosis.

The authors report that macrophages induce hair growth by surrounding and activating cells in the skin that have regenerative capacity, called stem cells.

The discovery that macrophages activate skin stem cells could influence technologies with potential applications in tissue regeneration, aging, and cancer.

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Baldness breakthrough: Researchers find skin signals that spark hair growth

Southern Illinois University/Science photo Library

Some hope that sperm cells could one day be derived from the skin cells of a man who is otherwise sterile and that a similar process cold produce viable egg cells from a sterile woman's body.

Israeli and UK researchers have created human sperm and egg precursor cells in a dish, starting from a person's skin cells. The achievement is a small step towards a treatment for infertility, although one that could face significant controversy and regulatory hurdles.

The experiment, reported online in Cell on 24 December1, recreates in humans parts of a procedure first developed in mice, in which cells called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells reprogrammed cells that can differentiate into almost any cell type are used to create sperm or eggs that are subsequently manipulated to produce live births by in vitro fertilization.

In 2012, stem-cell biologist Mitinori Saitou of Kyoto University in Japan and his collaborators created the first artificial primordial germ cells (PGCs)2. These are specialized cells that emerge during embryonic development and later give rise to sperm or eggs. Saitou made them in a dish, starting with skin cells reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state through iPS-cell technology (see 'Stem cells: Egg engineers'). They also were able to achieve the same result starting with embryonic stem cells.

Although his cells could not develop beyond this precursor stage in the dish, Saito found that if he placed them in mouse testes, they would mature into sperm, and if he placed them in ovaries, they would mature into functional eggs. Both sperm and eggs could be used for in vitro fertilization.

Efforts to engineer similarly functional gametes in humans have produced PGC-like cells, but with such a low efficiency success rate of turning stem cells into gametes that it was difficult for others to expand on the work.. Previous efforts also required the introduction of genes that would render the cells unusable in the clinic.

Ewen Callaway reports on the ethical challenges of using lab-made sperm and egg cells in fertility treatments.

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Now a team led by Azim Surani of the University of Cambridge, UK, and Jacob Hanna of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, has replicated the in vitro portion the first half, says Hanna of Saitous efforts in humans.

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Rudimentary egg and sperm cells made from stem cells

Dominique Friend doesn't look like she's sick. But the Lansdowne resident often deals with bouts of pain so severe she ends up in the hospital for weeks.

Friend, 44, was born with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that affects an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 in the U.S., according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information.

Her autobiography "Sickle" was released by Tate Publishing on Dec. 9 in a second edition, after she self-published the book in 2009.

In the book, she tells of her struggle with the debilitating disease. Friend said she shared her personal account to raise awareness about the disease, which predominantly affects African-Americans. It is also found in those of Hispanic and Mediterranean descent, according to CDC information.

Friend said for as long as she can recall, she has dealt with painful episodes that are characteristic of sickle cell disease.

Pain develops when sickle-shaped red blood cells, that should be round like a doughnut, block the blood flow to the chest, joints and other parts of the body, Friend explained. It can last for a few hours to a few weeks and such episodes are called "crises," she said.

"I would take the pain of childbirth over a sickle cell crisis any day," said Friend, who has three children, two stepdaughters and two granddaughters.

She has been married to Michael Friend for 18 years.

The painful disease can disrupt learning for children and make it difficult for adults to work, said Dr. Sophie Lanzkron, an assistant professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

A bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant is the only cure, according to the CDC website.

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Lansdowne author raises awareness about sickle cell disease