Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Oct 26;12(10):1097-1112.
doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i10.1097.

Stem cell-based therapies for fertility preservation in males: Current status and future prospects

Han-Chao Liu  1 , Yun Xie  1 , Chun-Hua Deng  1 , Gui-Hua Liu  2
Affiliations
Review

Stem cell-based therapies for fertility preservation in males: Current status and future prospects

Han-Chao Liu et al. World J Stem Cells. .

Abstract

With the decline in male fertility in recent years, strategies for male fertility preservation have received increasing attention. In this study, by reviewing current treatments and recent publications, we describe research progress in and the future directions of stem cell-based therapies for male fertility preservation, focusing on the use of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), SSC niches, SSC-based testicular organoids, other stem cell types such as mesenchymal stem cells, and stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles. In conclusion, a more comprehensive understanding of the germ cell microenvironment, stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles, and testicular organoids will play an important role in achieving male fertility preservation.

Keywords: Extracellular vesicles; Fertility preservation; Sperm cryopreservation; Spermatogonial stem cell; Stem cell; Testicular organoids.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Current and future strategies for male fertility preservation. Blue arrows indicate normal spermatogenesis; orange arrows indicate clinical applications; grey continuous arrows indicate experimental phases; grey dotted arrows indicate possible future developments. SSCs: Spermatogonial stem cells; MSCs: Mesenchymal stem cells; iPSCs: Induced pluripotent stem cells; ESCs: Embryonic stem cells; USCs: Urine-derived stem cells; EVs: Extracellular vesicles.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Miller KD, Nogueira L, Mariotto AB, Rowland JH, Yabroff KR, Alfano CM, Jemal A, Kramer JL, Siegel RL. Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2019. CA Cancer J Clin. 2019;69:363–385. - PubMed
    1. Skinner R, Mulder RL, Kremer LC, Hudson MM, Constine LS, Bardi E, Boekhout A, Borgmann-Staudt A, Brown MC, Cohn R, Dirksen U, Giwercman A, Ishiguro H, Jahnukainen K, Kenney LB, Loonen JJ, Meacham L, Neggers S, Nussey S, Petersen C, Shnorhavorian M, van den Heuvel-Eibrink MM, van Santen HM, Wallace WH, Green DM. Recommendations for gonadotoxicity surveillance in male childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors: a report from the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group in collaboration with the PanCareSurFup Consortium. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18:e75–e90. - PubMed
    1. Gatta G, Zigon G, Capocaccia R, Coebergh JW, Desandes E, Kaatsch P, Pastore G, Peris-Bonet R, Stiller CA EUROCARE Working Group. Survival of European children and young adults with cancer diagnosed 1995-2002. Eur J Cancer. 2009;45:992–1005. - PubMed
    1. Levine H, Jørgensen N, Martino-Andrade A, Mendiola J, Weksler-Derri D, Mindlis I, Pinotti R, Swan SH. Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Hum Reprod Update. 2017;23:646–659. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Suehiro RM, Borba EF, Bonfa E, Okay TS, Cocuzza M, Soares PM, Silva CA. Testicular Sertoli cell function in male systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2008;47:1692–1697. - PubMed