You’ve heard of gene therapy right? What ever happened to it? Born back in the 1990’s, the same decade that Viagra was introduced to the world, gene therapy has not fared nearly as well as the little blue pill. Why not? First of all, gene therapy, in which DNA is put into cells to treat disease,...Continue reading
Tag: sperm production
MicroTESE vs. FNA Mapping: Medieval or Modern?
Put two experts in a room and give each of them the same problem to solve. What you’ll find is that they typically use similar “knowledge structures” and “heuristic strategies” (i.e. organized and principled thinking) and then proceed to break the problem into smaller, more digestible ones to solve it. But, despite similar cognitive approaches, the solutions...Continue reading
Are We Less Fertile Today?
How big was your family a couple of generations ago? Dial things back a half a century and you’d see that having 3 or 4 kids was pretty much average in America. Now, having 2 kids or fewer is the norm. What happened? Are we less fertile? I know what you’re thinking: so what if modern...Continue reading
Can Nature and Nurture Work Together?
I’m sorry, but after delivering hundreds of lectures worldwide over the past two decades, this invitation is different. It’s from the Feds, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to be exact. They want me to speak at a think tank in Washington about the future of men’s health. It’s a great honor, but a very intimidating...Continue reading
Are You A Gambling Man?
The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic. He appeared healthy. No issues with testosterone, erections,or sex drive. No infertility problem. No pain. No lumps or bumps. All dialed in with a primary care provider. He was even on time for his appointment. So, why was he here? “Doc, I’m 40...Continue reading
Y Not The X?
Imagine Louis Armstrong bellowing: “Birds do it, bees do it, goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it…” Males and females, everywhere on earth, falling for each other. Now there’s evidence that, even chromosomally, they need each other. Sex Dogma Realize that scientific thought surrounding sex chromosomes has been a tad sexist to date: Two...Continue reading
Can Making Eggs Help Us Make Sperm?
Forgive me for talking about eggs during Men’s Health Month, but this one is too good to pass up. It was announced to the world recently that a woman just delivered a child after natural conception. And the news here is….? A First Among Eggs Ok, there’s a catch. The newborn baby came from eggs within an ovary that...Continue reading
Smart Phone, Smart Home, SMARTmap
You’ve heard of smart homes. And I bet you own a smart phone. Both great examples of technology for better living. RememberThe Jetsons‘ smart home, complete with conveyor belts and Rosie the robot maid? And who can forget the large “brick” cell phonesof days past, with terrible reception and constantly drained batteries. Well, there’s also a...Continue reading
Lab Grown Sperm: Fact or Fiction?
Did it really happen? Did a company in Lyon, France actually make human sperm in a dish, as touted in a press release? Or will our hopes be dashed as before? Your guess is as good as mine. A Symphony of Biology Compare spermatogenesis to a symphony score, but a masterful one, like a work...Continue reading
What Ever Happened to IUI?
Can’t conceive? Try IVF. Sure, it recently earned a Nobel Prize but isn’t that like going from 0 to 100 mph just like that? Isn’t there something simpler to do first before IVF? Turkey Basting Well, maybe there is. There are 3 levels of conception technology: No-Tech (sex), Low-Tech (IUI) and High-Tech (IVF). Intrauterine insemination...Continue reading