Human skin used to create sperm

Scientists said that although the cell precursors were insufficient to support conception, the breakthrough suggests that in future, the same method could be used to grow productive sperm from infertile men.

Infertility affects at least 10 per cent of couples, and in at least one third of cases, relates to male fertility problems, which are often genetic.

The most common defect is missing regions of male Y chromosomes, which is associated with the production of few or zero sperm.

The trials by Stanford University involved three men suffering from such defects.

When their tissue samples were genetically engineered, and then implanted into the testes of mice, cells were successfully generated.

The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports, indicate that Y chromosome infertility occurs relatively late in the maturing process of sperm cells,

Lead researcher Dr Reijo Pera, from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine said: Our results are the first to offer an experimental model to study sperm development. It might even be possible to transplant stem-cell-derived germ cells directly into the testes of men with problems producing sperm.

Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in reproduction and developmental medicine at the University of Sheffield, said: "The received wisdom is that if you have a Y chromosome defect like this you don't make sperm.

"Until I read this paper I would have said if you take skin cells from an infertile guy it won't work. But what this seems to suggest is that it could.

"Obviously the outcome is poorer than if you don't have the defect, but the fact that they could do this at all is quite exciting. At the moment the door is closed to these men."

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Human skin used to create sperm