First UK transplant of frozen testicular tissue

The first UK patient has had his testicular tissue transplanted back; it was frozen prior to chemotherapy he had as a child.

Some treatments for cancer or blood conditions such as sickle cell disease can damage the cells which produce sperm, impacting fertility. Adult men can freeze sperm prior to chemotherapy, but this is not possible before puberty. The unnamed 19-year-old had testicular tissue containing sperm precursor cells frozen three years ago, before undergoing chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Clinicians in Edinburgh have now transplanted this tissue back into his body, in hopes that he will be able to produce viable sperm.

'We began a research programme in 2014 to preserve fertility in boys before they start chemotherapy,' study leader Professor Rod Mitchell from the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh told BioNews. 'The study involved freezing a piece of the testicle before treatment, and we are beginning to see some of these young men return to explore their fertility options. This study offers real hope for future fertility in boys facing cancer treatment.'

When the patient's semen was tested after chemotherapy, it did not contain sperm. However, the frozen testicular tissue contains the stem cells needed for sperm production after puberty. Earlier this year, a patient in Belgium who had undergone the same procedure later produced mature sperm (see BioNews 1338).

Clinicians will find out in the coming months whether the retransplanted tissue has enabled the patient to produce viable sperm. Even if he can, the researchers noted that fertility treatment – such as IVF or ICSI – may still be needed for him to start a family.

'I've always wanted to have children of my own, but at some point, I found myself starting to slowly accept that that might never be possible for me. Having this procedure has given me genuine hope for the future,' said the patient.

This young man is among over 1200 patients in the UK who have had testicular tissue stored, with the potential for future clinical use. The technique has not yet resulted in any human births, but builds on a previous study in monkeys. An embryo created using sperm from cryopreserved testicular tissue resulted in the birth of a healthy female monkey, named Grady (see BioNews 992).