There is no doubt that nature is amazing and constantly evolving. In addition, it has survival mechanisms that are always extraordinary. For example, some animal species can reproduce on their own if they are away from a male, as in the case of sharks and Komodo dragons. This biological phenomenon is known as parthenogenesis.
These examples have made scientists think about how to create methods that help infertile men to have children and have found that sperm can be produced from stem cells that can fertilize female eggs.
From in vitro fertilization, different experiments began that tried to restore fertility. For example, in 2006, scientists led by Karim Nayernia managed to form immature sperm from the bone marrow of men.
Before this, another group of researchers managed to develop whole sperm in mice with the same procedure, but of 210 cases in which the rodents were fertilized, only seven pups survived that were born sick and died soon.
However, Nayernia continued with his experiments, combining stem cells from the men's bone marrow with a type of vitamin A, which resulted in an early-stage sperm known as a spermatogonial cell. But it could not complete its development, as it had to undergo meiosis to reach maturity. This time, the scientists suspected it was due to the lack of another cell that helps sperm growth in the testes.
Three years later, Nayernia finally managed to create mature sperm with the help of another cell present in the bone marrow. This, in theory, could also generate sperm with female cells, but self-reproduction would not be highly recommended.
In an article published on the BBC entitled Can women reproduce without the need for men? There is talk of the great risk that this new technology implies and of which, if implemented, it should be used responsibly:
In theory, it would be possible to produce a child from the genetic material of a single woman in the laboratory. However, the cost would be an alarming genetic bottleneck. As there is very limited genetic diversity, the risk of birth defects and other diseases would increase.
The treatments are not intended to generate laboratories for human production, but to help men who have become infertile due to having undergone cancer treatment. But yes, women could produce their own sperm and dispense with the help of men.
