Canada — Researchers have 3D printed human testicular cells and identified early signs of sperm production. There is still a long way to go, but this technique might one day offer a solution to couples facing problems of male infertility, which are currently impossible to treat.
It is estimated that men are involved in regarding half of cases of infertility in couples, and that non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is the cause of 10 to 15% of cases of male infertility. NOA represents the most severe form of male infertility. In this form, no sperm are present in the ejaculate due to decreased sperm production in the seminiferous tubules.
A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia (Canada), under the direction of Dr Ryan FlanniganAssistant Professor of Urology, assessed the feasibility and spermatogenic potential of 3D bioprinting human testicular cells from a patient with NOA.
To carry out their investigations, the researchers performed a biopsy to take stem cells from the patient’s testicles. The cells were then cultured on a Petri dish, and 3D printed in a tubular structure similar to the seminiferous tubule. Endpoints included cell viability following printing, and expression of various markers following 12 days of in vitro culture.
After this period, the team found that the cells had survived; survival 24 hours following printing was 93.4±2.4%. “It’s an important step to see that these cells are surviving and starting to differentiate. There is still a long way to go, but this gives our team a lot of hope,” said Dr. Flannigan.
It is an important step to see that these cells survive and begin to differentiate.
Moreover, staining of the markers was positive following 12 days, confirming the presence of Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, peritubular myoid cells and germ cells in meiosis. This evolution towards specialized cells involved in the production of spermatozoa, and the significant improvement in the survival of spermatogonial stem cells, are two precursor signs of the capacity to produce spermatozoa.
The next step for the researchers is to coax the imprinted cells into producing sperm. To do this, they will expose the cells to different nutrients and growth factors, and fine-tune the structural layout to facilitate interaction between the cells.
If the cells manage to produce sperm, these might be used to fertilize an egg in vitro, giving couples a new infertility treatment option.
“Increasingly, we are finding that there are probably many different causes of infertility and each case is very individual,” Dr. Flannigan said. “With this in mind, we take a personalized precision medicine approach, we take cells from a patient, we try to understand what abnormalities are unique to them, and then we 3D print and help the cells in ways to overcome these initial deficiencies. »
Section of 3D printed human testicular cells.
This article was originally published on MediQuality.netmember of the Medscape network.
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