Stem Cells from Testicles

(Hamburg, Germany) German researchers have made a breakthrough in stem cell research which bypasses the ethical and legal restrictions of using human embryonic stem cells. Nutty as it sounds, the scientists get stem cells from men's testicles.

The researchers from the Universities of Tuebingen and Cologne in Germany, and King's College London, say that routine biopsies of men's testicles could provide a new source of stem cells, which could be as good as embryonic stem cells for researching and developing treatments for a range of serious diseases, but without the ethical and legal problems of embryonic stem cells.

Now there is new hope for personalized treatment of men with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and various forms of cancer. Their own testicles can be tapped for cells to create stem cells for repair or replacement of damaged tissue.

According to lead researcher Thomas Skutella, "We made them into skin, structures of the gut, cartilage, bone, muscle and neurons."

If further research shows that the resulting cells are normal, it could allow men to grow their own tissue for transplant.

Cells could be taken from a Parkinson's disease patient's testicles, nurtured in a laboratory and turned into brain cells. The resulting cells could be further implanted into his brain to replace those lost to the disease.

Moreover, the same method could be used to create heart, pancreatic or liver cells.

One big advantage of the proposed treatment is that a man receiving stem cells derived from his own swinging jewel case will not experience any immune system rejection. Of course, on the negative side, the treatment would only work for men.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.