... and it's riding on the backs of mice.

The technique, in which bits of testicular tissue from newborn pigs and goats were grafted onto the backs of mice, could also provide an unprecedented window through which scientists may watch the mysterious process by which sperm develop in various species -- including humans.

Indeed, several experts predicted yesterday that it won't be long before human sperm are grown in mice -- an advance that scientists and ethicists said could lead to both useful and troubling scenarios.

Mentioned in passing in this article from the Washington Post is the fact the host mice are a special breed whose immune systems have been rendered incapable of rejecting foreign tissue. They're already Frankenmice. And there is some concern about the possibility of interspecies contamination:

"Does that mouse have viruses or something that will infect the human cells? Are we going to have 'mad mouse disease'?" he asked, a reference to the surprise discovery that the infectious agent behind mad cow disease can also, if consumed, destroy human brains.

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