Stem Cells Can Come From Male Testes

New type of stem cells coming from male testicles is the hottest stem cell blog and news article you will have seen in the last week.

German and British researchers have discovered that stem cells taken from male testicles are as versatile as those taken from embryos. This new stem cell will be able to make personalized replacement tissue which will not have rejection problems from the body's immune system.

Earlier studies used mice, the new study at the Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine in Tuebingen, Germany , used cells taken from 22 men aged 17 to 81 years.

After a few weeks of growth the new cells began to differentiate into various types of cells just as embryonic stem cells do. In the future they may be used to treat Parkinson's and other neurological diseases.


The religious controversy over the use of embryonic stem cells should be avoided since the new types are natural and no embryos are used (killed) to produce them.

Nature (08 Oct 2008
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Press Release
King's College, London
University of Tübingen