These reproductions of human organs make it possible to better preserve the mobility of sperm, compared to the culture environments used today. This could improve the chances of success in the context of PMA.
- Researchers have created organoids of fallopian tubes to study infertility.
- These 3D structures make it possible to reproduce certain functions of human organs.
- This new tool could improve PMA techniques.
Fertility problems affect many people in France and worldwide. According to the Ministry of Health123,174 attempts at medical aid for procreation were carried out in the country in 2020. But these techniques do not always work. In Toulouse, CHU, University and Inserm teams have developed a new tool, capable of improving the success of PMA. In the journal Human Reproductionthey explain that they have designed human organoids of fallopian tubes. The latter belong to the female reproductive system: they transport the oocyte to allow its meeting with sperm.
PMA: What is an organoid?
“”The organoids are small biological structures in 3D which reproduce certain functions of an organ, they explain in a press release. As the fallopian tubes are the place of major events for reproduction – in particular the maintenance of mobility and the acquisition of the fertilizing power of sperm -, the hypothesis of scientists was that an organoid version of the fallopian tubes could, by reproducing conditions close to those of the in vivo organ, improve the fruitful capacities of spermatozo applied during a PMA.“” These structures were developed thanks to the tissues of patients who have undergone contraceptive removal.
A promising technique to improve the chances of success of the PMA
“”Quickly, the isolated cells of the tubes formed organoids. Compared to other experiences of the same type, our organoids were different since they had more advanced morphological characteristics and exceptional dimensions, underlines Guillaume Perez, researcher at the University of Toulouse and co-author of the study. They were also perfectly suitable for what they were designed: to welcome human sperm. “ Thanks to a combined cultivation of these organoids and sperm, Toulouse researchers reproduced the arrival of the latter in the tubes. This method made it possible to obtain qualitatively and quantitatively higher mobility of sperm, compared to that obtained with the environments usually used within the framework of the PMA.
Organoids: future applications in reproductive medicine?
Faced with these encouraging first results, scientists announce that they will continue their work to study more precisely the interactions between fallopian tubes and sperm, oocytes or embryos, and thus better understand certain infertility. For Nicolas Gatimel, hospital practitioner in the center of PMA of the Toulouse CHU and university professor at the University of Toulouse within the laboratory of embryonic development, fertility and environment (Defe – Inserm/UM/UT), this work could improve “The conditions of preparation and culture of sperm and embryos for PMA“”,, And thus offer new perspectives for couples with difficulty conceiving.
