Counting sperm does not add up any more: time for a new equation?
Although sperm dysfunction is the single most common cause of infertility, we have poor methods of diagnosis and surprisingly no effective treatment (excluding assisted reproductive technology). In this review, we challenge the usefulness of a basic semen analysis and argue that a new paradigm is required immediately. We discuss the use of at-home screening to potentially improve the diagnosis of the male and to streamline the management of the sub-fertile couple. Additionally, we outline the recent progress in the field, for example, in proteomics, which will allow the development of new biomarkers of sperm function. This new knowledge will transform our understanding of the spermatozoon as a machine and is likely to lead to non-ART treatments for men with sperm dysfunction.
Lefièvre
Linda
L
Reproductive Biology and Genetics Group, Division of Reproductive and Child Health, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Bedu-Addo
Kweku
K
Conner
Sarah J
SJ
Machado-Oliveira
Gisela S M
GS
Chen
Yongjian
Y
Kirkman-Brown
Jackson C
JC
Afnan
Masoud A
MA
Publicover
Stephen J
SJ
Ford
W Christopher L
WC
Barratt
Christopher L R
CL
D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D040901:Proteomics; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000502:physiology; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D002118:Calcium