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Increasing your focus on andrology could help couples realize their dream of becoming parents.
Supporting Sperm Function and Why You Should Care
It is perhaps understandable that the general focus for reproductive scientists working in ART might be on optimizing conditions for the oocyte and embryo.
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Optimizing Therapeutic Sperm Washing
By Mathew Tomlinson PhD
Why are there clear differences in sperm progression and velocity between products?
Read the article hereThe importance of Male factor in Fertility
40-50%
of all infertility cases is due to male factor
Since the advent of assisted reproduction the scientific focus on infertility has mainly concentrated on female issues. This point of view, however, is now shifting as more and more evidence accumulates on the importance of the male factor.
Evaluating the fertility of men can be very challenging, as this can only be proven based on the outcomes of their female partners. It is nevertheless estimated that male factor is involved in 40-50% of all infertility cases.
We believe that by increasing the focus on andrology, we can help couples realize their ultimate dream – parenthood.
We offer state-of-the-art andrology products because visual assessment alone should never be the only factor involved when selecting a sperm for ICSI.
ZyMōt™ Multi Sperm
Separation Device
Sperm separation device used to prepare motile sperm for ART procedures
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ORIGIO Gradient Series™
Innovative formulation drawing on the latest scientific knowledge of sperm function
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Hyaluronan – a natural biomarker for sperm quality
The ability of sperm to bind to Hyaluronan correlates to:
- Lower rates of chromosomal aneuploidy1
- Lower rates of DNA fragmentation1,2
- Decreased miscarriage rates3
Picking the right sperm is essential for enhancing your chances of achieving a successful ICSI outcome. Unfit sperm may lead to a compromised embryo and increase the risk of pregnancy loss.
Hyaluronan (HA), a high molecular weight glycosaminoglycan, is a major component of the cumulus oophorus matrix surrounding the human oocyte. Within the female reproductive tract, hyaluronan is believed to play a critical role in the selection of functionally competent sperm during fertilization. In fact only mature spermatozoa that have completed the plasma membrane remodelling, cytoplasmic extrusion and nuclear maturation have developed specific receptors for Hyaluronan. Only these mature sperm with receptors can bind to the cumulus complex, digest HA and reach the oocyte and fertilize it.
The in vitro binding of sperm to hyaluronan is a selective process and research has demonstrated that not all motile sperm bind to hyaluronan. HA-bound spermatozoa show lower rates chromosomal aneuploidies and DNA fragmentation, and good nuclear morphology. Since the selection of sperm for ICSI is critical and directly influences the paternal contribution to the preimplantation embryogenesis it is important to select sperm based on more that morphology. HA-sperm selection prior to ICSI insures the selection of a competent sperm and helps to optimize the outcome of the treatment.
References:
- Yagci et al. (2010) Spermatozoa bound to solid state hyaluronic acid show chromatin structure with high DNA chain integrity: An acridine orange fluorescence study. J Androl; 31:566-572
- Parmegiani. L. et al. (2010) Physiologic ICSI”: hyaluronic acid (HA) favors selection of spermatozoa without DNA fragmentation and with normal nucleus, resulting in improvement of embryo quality. Ferti Steril 93:598-604.
- Worrilow et al. AND Miller et al 2019 Physiological, hyaluronan-selected intracytoplasmic sperm injection for infertility treatment (HABSelect): a parallel, two-group, randomised trial. Lancet. 2019; 393: 416-422
