HF02-10 FARM TO TABLE: THE STORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST SPERM BANK AND FROZEN SPERM PREGNANCIES

Joanna Orzel; Andrea Rossman; Ryan Steinberg

doi:10.1097/01.JU.0001191344.82487.eb.10

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: While most often thought of for Dr. Alcock’s development of the transurethral resection of the prostate and the invention of the Ellik evacuator, the University of Iowa (UI) has made a variety of additional contributions to the field of urology. In 1953, Dr. Raymond Bunge and zoology graduate student, Jerome Sherman, published their findings on the fertilizing capacity of frozen human spermatozoa in 3 women. Later, national news outlets reported the birth of these babies, leading to a major controversy regarding the ethical and moral implications of frozen-thawed sperm (FTS) for insemination. We present the journey that led to the first use of FTS for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and the response to their work. METHODS: A PubMed Search including the words “Bunge” and “sperm” was conducted to find primary sources. Secondary sources were also reviewed, including The Annals of Iowa, a history journal about Iowa’s past. RESULTS: Sherman was initially hired by the urology department as a research assistant to freeze-dry renal tissue. In this role, he became interested in the freezing process itself and stumbled upon British research using glycerol as a freezing agent for bovine insemination. Intrigued, he started to perform experiments with his own sperm to see how many were viable after freezing and thawing. While painting Dr. Bunge’s house, he shared his research ideas and the two men quickly formed an alliance. Bunge and Sherman recruited an obstetrician-gynecologist collaborator, Dr. William Keetell, who had just helped to open an infertility clinic in 1952. The group performed 3 FTS inseminations for infertile married couples in 1953 with resulting pregnancies (confirmed by lack of menses, physical exam and positive Ascheim-Zondek test) and live births. After the results were published in Nature, the New York Times ran a story about the results, leading to public outcry on the grounds of ethical and religious concerns. The research collaboration quickly dissolved. Bunge remained at UI and only years later, would discuss his role in FTS. Sherman, conversely, left UI to work at the University of Arkansas Department of Anatomy and spent his career working in cryobiology, honing freezing techniques and writing certification standards for frozen human sperm banks. Only after commercial sperm banks were widely accepted and established did the two men gain accolades for their work. CONCLUSIONS: Since the founding of the department, UI has played a large role in advancing urologic care. The impacts of the contributions made by Dr. Raymond Bunge and Jerome Sherman ultimately revolutionized ART and will continue to be felt for generations.

HF02-10 FARM TO TABLE: THE STORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST SPERM BANK AND FROZEN SPERM PREGNANCIES

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