Baby mice born from sperm produced from stem cells are seen in this handout photo taken by Kyoto University professor Michinori Saito on November 8, 2010, and released to Reuters on August 5, 2011. REUTERS/Ho New

Sperm produced using mouse stem cells may provide clue to treating infertility in men, recent research suggests.

Researchers at Kyoto University in western Japan used embryonic stem cells to grow healthy mouse sperm on laboratory dishes -- a development which could help treat human infertility, they said on Friday.

According to researchers, sperm created from mouse stem cells was transplanted to infertile male mice, which further produced sperm cells that successfully fertilized an egg.

Baby mice from sperm produced from stem cells were born on Nov. 8, 2010, Reuters reported.

Followed by the success in treating infertility in mice, researchers believed stem cells research may help in taking the first step towards treating infertility in humans as well.

"We have high hopes, but it's not that easy. There are many difficult issues ahead in applying this to humans. But it is a first step," Mitinori Saito, the lead researcher, told the Associated Press.

Japan Japan Japan