A simplified technique for freezing human sperm for AIH: cryosyringe/floating platform of liquid nitrogen vapor

Cryopreservation as a Key Element in the Successful Delivery of Cell-Based Therapies-A Review

Cryopreservation is a key enabling technology in regenerative medicine that provides stable and secure extended cell storage for primary tissue isolates and constructs and prepared cell preparations. The essential detail of the process as it can be applied to cell-based therapies is set out in this review, covering tissue and cell isolation, cryoprotection, cooling and freezing, frozen storage and transport, thawing, and recovery. The aim is to provide clinical scientists with an overview of the benefits and difficulties associated with cryopreservation to assist them with problem resolution in their routine work, or to enable them to consider future involvement in cryopreservative procedures. It is also intended to facilitate networking between clinicians and cryo-researchers to review difficulties and problems to advance protocol optimization and innovative design.

Cryopreservation of human sperm in patients with malignancy: First 2 years' experience

Background:  Patients with malignancy (n = 130) participated in the sperm cryopreservation program. Methods:  After washing and concentrating, sperm was cryopreserved using KS-VIm cryoprotectant medium. Participant background factors such as age, marital status, underlying disease, presence or absence of previous treatment and semen findings (concentration, motility and morphology) were analyzed to determine parameters associated with the program. Results:  Patients in their 20s were most common (64 cases) and 94 cases were unmarried at the first visit. The main underlying diseases were testicular tumor (53 cases), leukemia (43 cases) and malignant lymphoma (13 cases). The program was completed for 118 cases. For leukemia, all semen parameters were closer to normal in patients without previous treatment (untreated group, UG) compared with the treated group (TG). When semen findings in the UG were classified according to underlying disease, sperm concentration was lower in patients with testicular tumor compared with those who had leukemia or malignant lymphoma. Four couples underwent reproductive therapies with the cryopreserved sperm through assisted reproductive technology, and three babies were born to two couples. Conclusion:  Sperm cryopreservation liberates patients with malignancy from iatrogenic infertility as a consequence of intensive therapy, allowing them to retain reproductive ability.