We bet the guy who coined the term "boner" never saw this one coming. German scientists in Hanover have actually developed a procedure that can create premature sperm cells from human bone marrow tissue. This could mark the birth of a breakthrough for fertility treatments, but the money shot may still be far along the road.

Using the latest in stem cell technology, adult stem cells have been extracted from living bone marrow. These cells are usually the foundation of muscular tissue development, but given the right procedure, they could be shaped into sperm cells capable of spawning life.

The hitch, however, is the growing opposition against stem cell technology among other western powers. The United Kingdom is in the process of drafting legislation against funding and testing of embryotic stem cells and the U.S. Senate is still locked in a heated battle with President George W. Bush's threat to veto the bill that would provide funding for stem cell studies.

Also, the public stigma on stem cells may lead activist conservatives to rally against the technology and spark a paralyzing gridlock which could derail efforts for the advancement of treatments which can be derived from the technology.

"This finding is of interest but we really need to be very cautious about the interpretation," says University of Sheffield stem cell researcher Harry Moore. He also reminded everyone that "this is a fast moving field but we are still many years away from developing any therapies for infertility using such techniques."

The report was published in the journal Gamete Biology: Emerging Frontiers on Fertility and Contraceptive Development and was presented to an awed audience at an international fertility convention.