New Research Reveals How Aging Alters Sperm Genetics and Impacts Offspring Health
Scientists have identified how aging men accumulate mutations in sperm-producing cells that can be passed to offspring. Two complementary studies reveal these mutations drive clonal expansions that increase with paternal age, affecting disease risk in future generations.
Groundbreaking Research on Paternal Age and Genetic Mutations
Scientists have made significant advances in understanding how mutations accumulate in sperm as men age, according to two complementary studies published in Nature. Researchers from multiple institutions reportedly discovered that spermatogonial stem cells—the progenitor cells responsible for sperm production—accumulate DNA mutations throughout a man’s life, with important implications for offspring health and genetic variation.