Scientists 3D bioprint human testis cells for the first time, advancing infertility research

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have completed the world’s first 3D analysis of human testicular cells
biology
Printing the experiments, the team hopes the technology can be applied to the treatment of male infertility in the future.
Infertility affects about 15 percent of couples, and in known cases, male factors are one of the main causes of infertility, said lead author Dr Ryan Flannigan, who led the study.
He said: “We based on human anatomy, these cells3D printinginto a very specific structure, which can play a very good role in promoting sperm development. If successful, this could lead to new fertility treatments for couples who currently have no other options.”

△Dr Ryan Flannigan and research assistant Megan RobinsonCELLINKnext to the bioprinter. Photo courtesy of Ryan Flannigan.

in male infertility
medicine
challenge

Inside the human testis, there is a tiny tube called the seminiferous tubule — this is where sperm are produced, at a rate of 1,500 cells per second, or more than 100,000,000 cells per day.The most severe form of male infertility is called non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), where these seminiferous tubule structures do not produce sufficient numbers of sperm. As a result, the number of sperm that a patient ejaculates may be severely reduced.Dr. Flannigan points out that there is a way throughOperationThe method finds a small number of sperm for in vitro fertilization (IVF), but this method is only successful in about 50% of NOA cases.

He added: “Unfortunately, for the other half of these people, they don’t have any choice because we can’t find sperm for them. Fortunately, new research from UBC will hopefully help these difficult-to-treat cases.”

△3D printingMicroscopic image of tubules. Photo via University of British Columbia.

3D bioprintingtesticular cells

In the University of British Columbia study, they first collected stem cells by biopsy from the testis of a patient with NOA.Cells were then cultured through the CELLINK BIO X6 system and3D bioprintinginto a petri dish. Most importantly, they were printed in the shape of hollow tubes, very similar to the spermatic tubules in humans.After 12 days in the dish, the researchers found that the cells had differentiated into specialized cells involved in sperm production, along with improvements in the maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells. “It’s a huge milestone to see these cells survive and start to differentiate,” Flannigan said. “There’s still a long way to go, but this makes our team very hopeful.”Following that success, the UBC team is now trying to push the 3D bioprinted cells to produce real sperm cells. This will involve culturing cells with various nutrients and growth factors to further refine their structures and enable cell-to-cell interactions. If successful, sperm cells in petri dishes could eventually be used to fertilize egg cells in IVF procedures, offering affected couples a whole new type of fertility treatment. The project also helped the research team better understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind NOA.

Flannigan concluded: “We are increasingly learning that infertility can be caused by many different causes, and each case is a very specific patient. With this in mind, we are taking a personalized precisionmedicalApproach — We take cells from patients, try to understand their specific abnormalities, and then 3D print and support cells in a way that overcomes these original deficiencies. “

△ Testicular cell biopsies from NOA patients in the study. Photo via University of British Columbia.

More details of the study can be seen in the paper titled “Using Clinically Derived Human Tissue to 3D Bioprint Personalized Testicular Tubules Forin-Vitro Culturing. First Report”.

Links to related papers:https://www.sciencedirect.com/sc…i/S2666335X22000179

The field of bioprinting research is indeed a field of surprises, and various forms of treatments are now being developed. Just this month, researchers from the Politecnico di Milano and Humanitas University used 3D printed neural tissue to study the causes of neurological diseases such as Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS).Funded by Fondazione Cariplo for €250,000, the project involves 3D bioprinted
Blood vessel
neural tissue to create an in vitro model of the human cerebral cortex.

Elsewhere, a research team at Utrecht University recently printed working livers using a new, ultrafast method of volumetric 3D bioprinting. A liver unit printed in less than 20 seconds is capable of performing key toxin elimination processes, mimicking what the natural liver performs in our bodies, and could open new opportunities for regenerative medicine and personalized drug testing.

(responsible editor: admin)

Scientists 3D bioprint human testis cells for the first time, advancing infertility research

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