[Androprotect and prospects for fertility treatment].
BACKGROUND
Fertility protection is essential for men undergoing potentially gonadotoxic treatment. It is usually offered to adolescents and men in reproductive age by semen cryopreservation. In case of azoospermia, testicular sperm cryopreservation is an additional option. In prepubertal boys no sperm cryopreservation is possible. A purely experimental option is cryopreservation of spermatogonial stem cells in immature testis tissue.


METHODS
Transplantation of either immature testis tissue or testicular stem cells or spermatogonia generated in vitro from stem cells are possible options for fertility preservation in boys.


OBJECTIVE
In this article, the rationale for cryopreservation of gonadal stem cells and the experimental methods for refertilization are summarized. The current research, national and international clinical and research activities and possible perspectives of further development of fertility preservation are explained.
Abteilung für Klinische Andrologie, Centrum für Reproduktionsmedizin und Andrologie, WHO Kooperationszentrum zur Erforschung der männlichen Reproduktion, EAA Ausbildungszentrum, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. D11, 48149, Münster, Deutschland. Sabine.Kliesch@ukmuenster.de.
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D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Cryopreservation; Immature testis tissue; Spermatogenesis; Spermatogonial progenitor cells; Stem cell transplantation