The spermatogonial stem cell technology: from basic knowledge to infertility treatment

Subfertility affects approximately 15% of all couples, and a severe male factor is identified in 17% of these couples. While the etiology of a severe male factor remains largely unknown, prior gonadotoxic treatment and genomic aberrations have been associated with this type of subfertility. Couples with a severe male factor can resort to ICSI, with either ejaculated spermatozoa (in case of oligozoospermia) or surgically retrieved testicular spermatozoa (in case of azoospermia) to generate their own biological children. Currently there is no direct treatment for azoospermia or oligozoospermia. Recent studies have demonstrated that male germ cells can have significant applications in treating male infertility and other diseases.SSC autotransplantation is a promising novel clinical application currently under development to restore fertility in sterile childhood cancer survivors. Spermatogonial stem cells eventually differentiate in the testis to produce haploid sperm. SSCs are rare cells in the testis, and their cellular characteristics are poorly known. We provide an brief overview regarding SSCs and the male germline, since the development of the spermatogonial transplantation method in 1994, which was a major breakthrough for basic research on SSCs, for clinical applications and in medicine regeneration.

Keywords:

Spermatogonial stem cells , Transplanation , culture