American researchers have succeeded in preserving sperm stem cells. A solution for boys who may be undergoing treatment anti-cancer without risking their fertility, according to results of a study published in the medical journal Cell reports. These conclusions were obtained in mice.
Adult men can have their semen frozen before having radiation therapy or chemotherapy, two treatments that can make them infertile. However, there are no treatments that allow the collection and storage of sperm stem cells from young prepubescent boys who are at risk of azoospermia, characterized by the absence of spermatozoa.
A new therapeutic route against male infertility after childhood cancer
Researchers at the University of Washington in the United States have succeeded in renewing the stem cells of mouse sperm thanks to the control mechanism of glycolysis, a fundamental step in the energy production mechanism of cells.
By lowering the oxygen in the culture and adding nitrogen, the researchers found that they could dramatically improve the percentage of stem cells capable of making spermfertile when injected back into the testes.
This technique would increase the viability of sperm-producing cells by up to 40% in young prepubescent boys. So far, at six months, only 5% of the cells had remained viable. A therapeutic solution for children affected by Cancer.
The results of this study are encouraging, but scientists still face a host of challenges before confirming their findings in humans.
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