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Published on: March 6, 2018
Biomarkers of chemotherapy-induced testicular damage
Edward Dere1, Linnea M Anderson, Kathleen Hwang
1Division of Urology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Abstract:
Increasing numbers of men are having or wanting children after chemotherapy treatment. This can be attributed to improvements in cancer therapies that increase survival. However, a side effect of most chemotherapy drugs is disruption of spermatogenesis and a drastic reduction in sperm count and quality. Although many men eventually recover reproductive function, as indicated by normal semen analyses, there is no clinical test that can assess sperm quality at a high level of sensitivity. Sperm fluorescent in situ hybridization (i.e., FISH) and several different tests for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation have been used infrequently in clinical assessment. Animal models of chemotherapy-induced testicular damage are currently being used to identify potential molecular biomarkers that may be translatable to humans-these include sperm messenger RNAs, microRNAs, histone modifications, and DNA methylation patterns. Changes in these molecular measurements are quantitative and sensitive, potentially making them important clinical biomarkers of testicular function after chemotherapy treatment.
Insights
Men undergoing chemotherapy can have fertility issues. New molecular biomarkers in sperm may offer sensitive tests for testicular function after cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cancer survival rates are improving, leading more men to desire fatherhood post-chemotherapy.
- Chemotherapy often impairs sperm production and quality, impacting male fertility.
- Current clinical tests lack sensitivity for assessing post-chemotherapy sperm quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore novel molecular biomarkers for assessing male fertility after chemotherapy.
- To identify sensitive indicators of testicular function in cancer survivors.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing animal models of chemotherapy-induced testicular damage.
- Analyzing molecular changes in sperm, including messenger RNAs, microRNAs, histone modifications, and DNA methylation patterns.
Main Results:
- Identified quantitative and sensitive molecular changes in sperm.
- These molecular alterations show potential as biomarkers for testicular function.
Conclusions:
- Molecular biomarkers like sperm RNAs and epigenetic modifications offer promising, sensitive assessments of male reproductive health after chemotherapy.
- These biomarkers could significantly improve clinical evaluation of fertility in cancer survivors.
