Sperm yield healthy mice after 9 months in space
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AFTER nine months in space, mouse sperm has yielded healthy mice, Japanese scientists said on Monday.
The freeze-dried sperm samples were launched in 2013 to the International Space Station and returned to Earth in 2014. The intense radiation of space caused slight DNA damage to the sperm. Yet, after in vitro fertilization on the ground, healthy offspring resulted. The baby mice grew into adults with normal fertility of their own.
The researchers — led by Sayaka Wakayama of the University of Yamanashi — said it’s a step toward reproducing other mammals, even humans, using space-preserved sperm. They envision missions lasting several years or multiple generations, during which assisted reproductive technology might be used for domestic animals and people, too.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous developmental studies in space have involved fish and amphibians. Mammals are more difficult to maintain and handle in space, and so testing has been limited. More extensive testing on sperm preservation is needed in space, according to the researchers.
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