Development of a Non-Invasive Male Fertility Assay for Testicular Sperm Retrieval and Fertility Treatment with Kun Tan Ph.D.

Men with non-obstructive azoospermia may undergo microscopic testicular sperm extraction, or mTESE, without knowing whether sperm will be found. Kun Tan, Ph.D., of UC San Diego explains how molecular semen analysis could provide a noninvasive way to predict the procedure’s outcome. The assay uses stage-specific germ cell markers identified through single-cell RNA sequencing, then measures those markers in semen with qPCR. Because semen contains germ cells from different stages of sperm development, their molecular signals may reflect what is happening inside the testes. Tan shows how the assay predicts whether sperm retrieval was successful and can identify where sperm development may be blocked. The research could help couples planning IVF or ICSI avoid unnecessary surgery, reduce financial and emotional burdens, and receive more detailed information about male infertility before treatment. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41630]