Methods for improving the functionality and/or fertility of sperm, for example, by enhancing motility and/or extending the lifespan of sperm by subjecting the isolated sperm to a starvation protocol and/or ionophore are provided. Such methods may be used in, for example, artificial insemination to reduce the number of sperm needed for insemination and to improve conception rates.

Methods for improving the functionality and/or fertility of sperm, for example, by enhancing motility and/or extending the lifespan of sperm by subjecting the isolated sperm to a starvation protocol and/or ionophore are provided. Such methods may be used in, for example, artificial insemination to reduce the number of sperm needed for insemination and to improve conception rates.

A composition is for improving the culture and implantation of mammalian embryos. The composition includes one or more of the fractions of human plasma fractionation using the Cohn method wherein in the composition human serum albumin (HSA) is between 90% and 96% of the total proteins in the composition, alfa and beta globulins are between 3.5% and 9.99% of the total proteins in the composition, and gamma globulin is between 0.01% and 0.5% of the total proteins in the composition.

Haploid human embryonic stem cells and cell lines, haploid multipotent human cells, and haploid differentiated human cells are provided. In addition, methods of making and using the haploid human cells are provided.

Disclosed are methods of growing and culturing xenotypic tissue or xenotypic organs in a mammalian species. The methods of growing human organs in other mammalian species are disclosed and such human organs can be used for transplant purposes.

The disclosure provides, inter alia, methods of improving sperm function and related methods of fertilization, together with preparations of activated or potentiated sperm. The methods provided by the disclosure, in some embodiments entail energy depletion with subsequent staged reintroduction of different energy sources. The disclosure additionally provides articles of manufacture suitable for performing the methods provided by the invention. The invention provides kits for separating sperm and for processing and preparing sperm for, in some embodiments, IVF or IUI. Also provided are nutrient free reagents useful preparing sperm.

The disclosure provides, inter alia, methods of improving sperm function and related methods of fertilization, together with preparations of activated or potentiated sperm. The methods provided by the disclosure, in some embodiments entail energy depletion with subsequent staged reintroduction of different energy sources. The disclosure additionally provides articles of manufacture suitable for performing the methods provided by the invention. The invention provides kits for separating sperm and for processing and preparing sperm for, in some embodiments, IVF or IUI. Also provided are nutrient free reagents useful preparing sperm.

The present invention provides modified oocytes having a nuclear genome derived from a first oocyte and cytoplasm derived from a second oocyte from a different subject, and methods for making and using such modified oocytes. The methods and compositions of the present invention can be useful in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, in in vitro fertilization (“IVF”) procedures.

The invention relates to the use of an inhibitor of the activity or stability of the pre-replication complex, also called pre-RC, for the in vitro preparation of haploid eukaryotic somatic cells from eukaryotic somatic diploid cells, said inhibitor completely inhibiting the activity or stability of said pre-RC.

Object of the present invention is to provide means for improving the quality of preimplantation embryos deteriorated with age or the like. The present invention relates to an agent for improving the quality of an egg, a fertilized egg, and/or an embryo, including a substance that inhibits signal transmission from CXCL5.