2005 © Oxford University Press
Cryopreservation and Transplantation of Spermatogonia and Testicular Tissue for Preservation of Male Fertility
Affiliations of authors: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Pittsburgh Development Center of Magee Womens Research Institute (KEO); University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Center for Research into Reproductive Physiology, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Pittsburgh, PA (SS)
Correspondence to: Stefan Schlatt, PhD, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, W952 Biomedical Science Tower, 3500 Terrace St., Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (e-mail: schlatt{at}pitt.edu).
The existence of spermatogonial stem cells in the testis offers clinically relevant options for preservation and restoration of male fertility. New approaches based on male germ cell transplantation and testicular tissue grafting can be applied to generate a limited number of sperm cells and could therefore be considered important new avenues for restoration of fertility in oncological patients. We have developed approaches to infuse germ cells into rodent and primate testes and shown that germ cell transplantation is a procedure for restoration of spermatogenesis in the testis that might be adaptable to primates. As a promising alternative, grafting of testicular tissue has been used to produce fertile sperm. The rapid progress in the development of novel experimental strategies to generate sperm by transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells or by grafting of testicular tissue should stimulate oncologists to consider the cryopreservation of testicular tissue. This review introduces the reader to the physiology of spermatogonial stem cells and summarizes the current and potential future options for fertility preservation in male oncological patients.
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