Cell-Based Therapy Approaches in Treatment of Non-obstructive Azoospermia

Abstract

The rate of infertility has globally increased in recent years for a variety of reasons. One of the main causes of infertility in men is azoospermia that is defined by the absence of sperm in the ejaculate and classified into two categories: obstructive azoospermia and non-obstructive azoospermia. In non-obstructive azoospermia, genital ducts are not obstructed, but the testicles do not produce sperm at all, due to various reasons. Non-obstructive azoospermia in most cases has no therapeutic options other than assisted reproductive techniques, which in most cases require sperm donors. Here we discuss cell-based therapy approaches to restore fertility in men with non-obstructive azoospermia including cell-based therapies of non-obstructive azoospermia using regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies of non-obstructive azoospermia by paracrine and anti-inflammatory pathway, technical and ethical challenges for using different cell sources and alternative options will be described, and then the more effectual approaches will be mentioned as future trends.

Screening and identification of critical Genes and Pathways Associated with Oxidative Stress in non-obstructive azoospermia patients: an integrative bioinformatics study

“…Despite the importance of azoospermia in male infertility and the increasing number of studies in this eld, the etiology of this condition has not yet been precisely determined. On the other hand, most cases of primary testicular failure of NOA are idiopathic or in ammatory cases, which means that there is no effective treatment for them [12]. Although it is estimated that 25% of NOA cases are caused by single genetic anomalies such as gene mutations, and several hundred vital genes in mouse fertility have been reported.…”

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Azoospermia: Navigating Differentiation Challenges and Charting Future Frontiers in Male Fertility Treatment

“…Personalized medicine emerges as a beacon of hope in this scenario [35]. By customizing MSC therapy to the distinct profiles of individual patients, the potential for success is magnified [36].…”

Cyto- and Histopographic Assessment of CPA3-Positive Testicular Mast Cells in Obstructive and Non-Obstructive Azoospermia

“…In OA, the problem is excretory duct obstruction, with sperm production not affected; by contrast, NOA results from defective spermatogenesis [6]. In cases where the common evaluation tests are negative, azoospermia is named idiopathic, where a final diagnosis involves more detailed investigations to find the cause [7,8]. Identifying the underlying genetic causes, especially in NOA patients, reduces the rate of "idiopathic" cases [9,10].…”