Testicular cell transplantation into the human testes

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Cell Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are crucial for sperm production.
• SSC transplantation holds promise for treating male infertility.
• Translating SSC transplantation to clinical practice requires effective cell delivery methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of delivering cells into human testes for SSC transplantation.
• To assess ultrasound-guided injection techniques for rete testis delivery.
• To determine optimal cell suspension volumes and concentrations for testicular cell transplantation.

Main Methods:

• Mouse green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive testicular cells were radiolabeled with (99m)technetium and microbubbles.
• Cells were injected into the rete testis of human cadaver testes under ultrasound guidance.
• Three different injection volumes and concentrations were tested, followed by SPECT imaging and histology.

Main Results:

• GFP-positive cells were successfully detected within the seminiferous tubules and interstitium across all tested conditions.
• Single-photon-emission computerized tomography (SPECT) revealed significant differences in cell distribution based on injection volume and concentration.
• The highest cell distribution volume was observed with 1,400 μL of a 10 million cells/mL suspension.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound-guided injection of cells into human cadaver testes is a feasible method for potential SSC transplantation.
• Cell delivery and distribution can be influenced by injection volume and cell concentration.
• Further optimization of injection parameters is necessary to enhance the efficiency of clinical SSC transplantation.