Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jing Dai, Qi Li, Qinwei Zhou, Shen Zhang, Junru Chen, Yize Wang, Jing Guo, Yifan Gu, Fei Gong, Yueqiu Tan, Guangxiu Lu, Wei Zheng, Ge Lin
Summary: This study used whole-exome sequencing to identify the genetic causes of total fertilization failure (TFF) in male infertility. Homozygous variants in the novel gene IQCN were found in two individuals with abnormal acrosome structures. Knockout mice lacking the Iqcn gene showed similar phenotypes to humans with TFF. The study also revealed the role of IQCN in regulating microtubule nucleation during manchette assembly, and provided a genetic marker and therapeutic option for male TFF.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Andrology
John Ernandez, Catherine Gu, Martin Kathrins
Summary: Globozoospermia (GZ) is a rare disorder in infertile men where spermatozoa lack acrosomes. This study investigated the recognition and reporting of GZ in in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratories nationwide. The results showed a lack of proper reporting channels and knowledge about GZ, indicating the need for a national standard and training for laboratory technicians.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jing Dai, Tianlei Zhang, Jing Guo, Qinwei Zhou, Yifan Gu, Jue Zhang, Liang Hu, Yurong Zong, Juan Song, Shuoping Zhang, Can Dai, Fei Gong, Guangxiu Lu, Wei Zheng, Ge Lin
Summary: Genetic variations in the ACTL9 gene in male individuals have been found to cause total fertilization failure (TFF). These variations disrupt the perinuclear theca structure and affect the localization of PLCz in sperm, leading to abnormal calcium oscillations in oocytes and subsequent TFF. Overcoming TFF can be achieved through assisted oocyte activation with calcium ionophore exposure.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Andrology
Meng Wang, Juepu Zhou, Rui Long, Huizi Jin, Limin Gao, Lixia Zhu, Lei Jin
Summary: This study investigates the genetic causes of male-related fertilization failure. Mutations in the ACTL7A gene were found to be responsible for fertilization failure and male infertility.
Article
Developmental Biology
Jing Dai, Yongzhe Chen, Qi Li, Tianlei Zhang, Qinwei Zhou, Fei Gong, Guangxiu Lu, Wei Zheng, Ge Lin
Summary: Teratozoospermia caused by ACTL7A gene mutation in mice affects sperm activity and fertilization ability, leading to total fertilization failure. Calcium ionophore exposure can successfully overcome fertilization failure caused by acrosomal abnormalities.
MOLECULAR HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Veena Unnikrishnan, John P. Kastelic, Jacob C. Thundathil
Summary: The study found that the sperm-derived oocyte activating factor, phospholipase C zeta (PLC zeta), is the only PLC isoform reported in cattle. During sperm capacitation, PLC zeta is activated through interaction with ATP1A4 and tyrosine phosphorylation, contributing to various capacitation processes such as hyperactivated motility and acrosome reaction.
CELL AND TISSUE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Richard Nauber, Sandhya R. Goudu, Maren Goeckenjan, Martin Bornhaeuser, Carla Ribeiro, Mariana Medina-Saenchez
Summary: Medical microrobotics is an emerging field that aims to achieve non-invasive diagnosis and therapy inside the human body through miniaturized sensors and actuators. This overview discusses the key challenges in assisted reproduction and explores how microrobotics can be used to assist fertilization and enhance embryo implantation. The authors also highlight the potential designs, translation to animal and human studies, and regulatory and ethical considerations for clinical adoption of this technology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Developmental Biology
Yuhkoh Satouh
Summary: This article reports on the study of oocyte activation induced by PLCZ1 in mice, as well as the generation of PLCZ1-deficient mouse models using genome-editing techniques. The findings show that PLCZ1 deficiency in mice leads to subfertility but can be fully restored by intracytoplasmic sperm injection, indicating a PLCZ1-independent oocyte activation mechanism. These findings raise new questions in the field of sperm biology and have implications for the treatment and phenotypic interpretation of oocyte activation failure in patients.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jing Zhao, Bixia Huang, Jie Hao, Bin Xu, Yanping Li
Summary: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of chromosomal polymorphisms (CPs) on the reproductive outcomes of assisted reproductive technology treatment. The results showed that there were no significant differences in reproductive outcomes between CPs carriers and couples without CPs. For fresh embryo transfer cycles, factors such as female age, number of embryos transferred, endometrial thickness, LH, and P on the trigger day were independently associated with clinical pregnancy rate (CPR). For frozen-thawing embryo transfer cycles, factors such as female age, infertility duration, and number of embryos transferred were independently associated with CPR and live birth rate (LBR). These findings suggest that uniparental carrying of CPs has no effects on reproductive outcomes.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ioana Zaha, Petronela Naghi, Liana Stefan, Cosmina Bunescu, Mihaela Radu, Mariana Eugenia Muresan, Mircea Sandor, Liliana Sachelarie, Anca Huniadi
Summary: The microfluidic sperm selection method was found to improve the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. This method, which selects spermatozoa with the lowest DNA fragmentation rate, resulted in higher blastocyst rates and clinical pregnancy rates. It has the potential to be widely used in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and improve the workflow of standard IVF, reducing intervention by laboratory personnel and providing more consistent incubation conditions.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Sercan Ergun, Oguzhan Akgun, Neslihan Taskurt Hekim, Senanur Aslan, Ferda Ari, Sezgin Gunes, Ummet Abur
Summary: In this study, it was found that miR-128/193a-5p/494 may be associated with imatinib resistance in prostate cancer. Specifically, the upregulation of FYN may suppress the transcriptional activity of miR-128/193a-5p/494. Thus, miR-128/193a-5p/494 may play a critical role in imatinib resistance through the tr-KIT pathway.
ANTI-CANCER AGENTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jie Bao, Lixue Chen, Yongxiu Hao, Hongping Wu, Xiaojin He, Chuncheng Lu, Xinhua Ji, Jie Qiao, Yuanyuan Wang, Hongbin Chi
Summary: The study investigated the prevalence and prognosis of congenital anomalies in IVF/ICSI pregnancies, finding that pregnancies with higher fertilization failure rates were more likely to have poor prognoses for fetuses or neonates with congenital anomalies.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Stephanie Cheung, Alessandra Parrella, Danielle Tavares, Derek Keating, Philip Xie, Zev Rosenwaks, Gianpiero D. Palermo
Summary: The study characterized the sperm structural and genomic characteristics of men with partial and complete globozoospermic conditions to identify the best reproductive treatment. There were no significant differences in histone content, sperm chromatin integrity, and sperm aneuploidy between PG and CG men. Evaluating OASCF and treatment methods led to improved fertilization and clinical pregnancy rates in CG men.
JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Shaomi Zhu, Yiyue Fan, Ling Lan, Tianqing Deng, Qinxiu Zhang
Summary: The study aimed to explore the risk factors affecting the incidence of heterotopic pregnancy (HP) after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and the pregnancy outcomes after surgical treatment of HP. The results showed that a history of previous ectopic pregnancies, multiple abortions, tubal infertility, and multiple-embryo transfer were significant risk factors for HP following IVF-ET. In patients with HP treated by surgery, shorter operative duration, smaller size of the ectopic mass, and location in the ampulla of the fallopian tube were associated with better reproductive prognosis.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Maria Giulia Minasi, Christina Anagnostopoulou, Florence Boitrelle, Paraskevi Vogiatzi, Hassan Sallam, Ramadan Saleh, Giovanni Colpi, Ashok Agarwal
Summary: There are currently no definitive criteria for evaluating the quality and competence of oocytes. Advanced maternal age is a major factor leading to low oocyte quality, and other factors such as obesity, lifestyle, genetic and systemic pathologies, ovarian stimulation protocols, laboratory procedures, culture, and environmental conditions may also influence oocyte competence. Morphological and maturational evaluation of oocytes is the most commonly used method. Other criteria such as cumulus cell abnormalities and organelle aggregation are also associated with embryo developmental potential. However, many evaluation methods are still limited to research and have not been widely applied in clinical practice. Therefore, oocyte morphology and maturity remain important indicators for assessing oocyte quality.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shahnaz Babaei-Abraki, Fereshteh Karamali, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: This study demonstrates that iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation are responsible for cell death in dissociated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). P53 mediates iron-induced cell death, while the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibits cell death by regulating multiple genes.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sareh Soroushzadeh, Fereshteh Karamali, Elahe Masaeli, Atefeh Atefi, Mohammad Hossein Nasr Esfahani
Summary: The study introduces a unique scaffold-free method for RPE cell sheet engineering, which reconstructs the basal membrane of cells through cell sheet engineering and provides a new approach for retina regeneration and treatment.
JOURNAL OF BIOSCIENCE AND BIOENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Milad Abdollahi, Sayyed Mohammad Marandi, Kamran Ghaedi, Zahra Safaeinejad, Fatemeh Kazeminasab, Samaneh Shirkhani, Mohammad Hossein Sanei, Parsa Rezvanian, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: In this study, it was found that the combination of aerobic training with green coffee or chlorogenic acid supplementation can improve complications in prediabetic mice and have an effect on genes related to liver and glucose metabolism regulation.
OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY
(2022)
Review
Andrology
Marziyeh Tavalaee, Mohsen Rahmani, Joel R. Drevet, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: This review investigates the potential role of inflammasome pathway (IP) activation in male infertility. The results suggest that inflammasome activation and its consequences, including cytokine storms, apoptosis, and pyroptosis, may be associated with reduced sperm count and structural and functional sperm defects. This indicates that anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies may be considered for restoring male fertility in future research.
BASIC AND CLINICAL ANDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hanieh Hadady, Fereshteh Karamali, Fatemeh Ejeian, Sareh Soroushzadeh, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: This study evaluated two methods (micro-electromechanical systems and ultrafiltration) for isolating extracellular vesicles (EVs) from stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP). It found that different methods enriched different subsets of EVs, which significantly impacted their biological and functional effects. Further experiments confirmed the neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory capacity of SCAP-EVs in vitro, as well as their potential therapeutic effects in a retinal degeneration model.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Parisa Nadri, Saeid Ansari-Mahyari, Farnoosh Jafarpour, Amir Hossein Mahdavi, Nima Tanhaei Vash, Liana Lachinani, Kianoush Dormiani, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: The addition of melatonin to the culture medium can accelerate blastocyst formation and improve the quality of ovine SCNT embryos by reducing oxidative stress, apoptosis, and promoting telomere elongation. These findings offer new possibilities for the development of ovine SCNT embryos.
Article
Andrology
Fatemeh Karevanpour, Marziyeh Tavalaee, Fatemeh Kazeminasab, Milad Abdollahi, Samaneh Shirkhani, Mohsen Rahmani, Kamran Ghaedi, Sayed Mohammad Marandi, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: This study investigated the effects of green coffee and chlorogenic acid as active ingredients, as well as exercise, on spermatogenesis and sperm function in pre-diabetic mice. The results showed that pre-diabetic status had adverse effects on spermatogenesis and sperm quality. Exercise improved sperm motility, while green coffee supplementation reduced DNA damage and chlorogenic acid supplementation significantly improved motility. These findings suggest potential approaches for improving sperm quality in individuals with diabetes.
Article
Biology
M. Zanjirband, M. Baharlooie, Z. Safaeinejad, M. H. Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: This study investigated the novel therapeutics targets in PCOS by analyzing the transcriptome of granulosa cells using a drug repositioning approach. The results could provide valuable insights for the management of PCOS.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marjan Sadeghi, Mohsen Rahimi Andani, Mehdi Hajian, Nafiseh Sanei, Reza Moradi-Hajidavaloo, Nasrin Mahvash, Farnoosh Jafarpour, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: The role of the WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway in preimplantation goat development was investigated. The expression of beta-CATENIN was observed in IVF and SCNT embryos, and inhibition of beta-catenin resulted in increased blastocyst formation rate. Different localization patterns of beta-catenin were observed in IVF and SCNT blastocysts. Inhibition of WNT signaling during the compact morula to blastocyst transition improved preimplantation embryonic development.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Aram Minas, Mazdak Razi, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani, Seyed Mohammad Hashemi-Asl, Marziyeh Tavalaee
Summary: Varicocele (VCL) induces severe oxidative stress in testicular tissue, leading to infertility in 35% of males. This study compares the impact of varicose vessels on oxidative DNA damage and antioxidant reactions in the seminiferous tubules. The results show that varicocele causes significant DNA damage, reduces antioxidant reactions, and negatively affects the cell cycle progression.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maryam Mirani, Soghra Bahmanpour, Fatemeh Masjedi, Zahra Derakhshan, Mahintaj Dara, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani, Seyed Mohammad Bagher Tabei
Summary: This study reveals the negative effects of AGEs-RAGE axis on steroidogenesis in luteinized GCs, which can be mitigated by PM treatment. Understanding the interaction between AGEs and PM in ovarian physiology and pathology may lead to more targeted therapy for ovarian dysfunction.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ali Moghimi-Khorasgani, Farshad Homayouni Moghadam, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: Microglial cells (MGCs) are resident macrophages in the brain and spinal cord, playing a crucial role in immune defense and transition between different states. Increased Nurr1 expression is associated with anti-neuroinflammatory responses. This study investigates the potential role of ferulic acid (FA) in facilitating microglia transition by inducing Nurr1 expression.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Saeideh Abdollahzadeh, Ahmad Riasi, Marziyeh Tavalaee, Farnoosh Jafarpour, M. H. Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: An imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in sperm is correlated with lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in sperm, indicating a possible link to fertility potential. This study found that men with high DNA fragmentation had higher levels of saturated, monounsaturated, and omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratios in sperm and seminal plasma compared to men with low DNA fragmentation. Additionally, there were positive associations between the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio and sperm lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation, and residual histones in both sperm and seminal plasma.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Zanjirband, R. Hodayi, Z. Safaeinejad, M. H. Nasr-Esfahani, R. Ghaedi-Heydari
Summary: This study investigated the impact of the p53 pathway in enhancing apoptosis and abnormal function of granulosa cells. Results suggest that p53 target genes play a critical role in the pathogenesis of PCOS, specifically through the enhancement of apoptosis in granulosa cells.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Behrouz Aghajanloo, Fatemeh Ejeian, Francesca Frascella, Simone L. L. Marasso, Matteo Cocuzza, Alireza Fadaei Tehrani, Mohammad Hossein Nasr Esfahani, David W. W. Inglis
Summary: Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) is a passive separation method for particle and cell sorting. It offers high size resolution and operates using capillary pressure, making it suitable for point-of-care devices. The method achieves high separation efficiency and is simple to use, making it a valuable technique in the field of microfluidic technologies.
