First recorded pregnancy and normal birth after ICSI using electrophoretically isolated spermatozoa.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Spermatozoa Analysis
• Assisted Reproductive Technology

Background:

• Male germ line DNA damage is linked to reduced fertilization, poor embryo quality, and pregnancy loss.
• Embryologists seek methods to select sperm with minimal DNA damage for assisted conception.
• High sperm DNA damage is a significant factor in male infertility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel electrophoretic technique for isolating sperm with low DNA damage.
• To evaluate the method's efficacy across various sample types, including challenging ones.
• To demonstrate the clinical applicability of the technique in treating male infertility due to DNA damage.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel electrophoretic system for rapid sperm isolation.
• Testing the method with cryostored semen, snap-frozen samples, and testicular biopsies.
• Clinical application in a case study of a patient with high sperm DNA damage.

Main Results:

• The electrophoretic system successfully isolated motile, viable, morphologically normal sperm with high DNA integrity from diverse samples.
• Clinical use resulted in the first human pregnancy following electrophoretic sperm isolation in a couple with long-term infertility.
• The method proved effective even with difficult starting materials like biopsies and frozen samples.

Conclusions:

• The described electrophoretic procedure is a promising, convenient method for preparing high-quality sperm.
• This technique can significantly aid in assisted conception for individuals with male factor infertility.
• The method offers a rapid and effective solution for sperm selection based on DNA integrity.