Image source: Vrije Universiteit Brussel
In a groundbreaking procedure, doctors in Belgium have successfully transplanted testicular tissue into an adult man, which had been frozen when he was a child before undergoing chemotherapy 16 years ago. The procedure, conducted by doctors at the Free University of Brussels and Brussels IVF, involved reintroducing the preserved tissue fragments into the man’s testicles and scrotum, aiming to stimulate sperm production. While boys before puberty do not produce sperm, the tissue contains stem cells that, after puberty, can potentially lead to sperm production.
Dr. Veerle Vloeberghs from Brussels IVF emphasized that this step represents significant progress in the field of fertility preservation for children undergoing cancer treatment. Although the outcome remains uncertain and the ability to have children cannot yet be guaranteed, this development offers hope to patients who previously had no options for restoring fertility. The patient will be monitored for a year, with regular hormone tests, ultrasounds, and semen analysis to track the tissue’s response. After one year, the tissue will be examined to check for sperm cell production.
Professor Rod Mitchell, from the University of Edinburgh, called the procedure a major advancement for boys facing infertility due to cancer treatment. While it is unlikely that sperm cells will naturally appear in the semen without further fertility interventions, the procedure opens up the possibility of producing sperm from the patient’s own tissue, an option previously unavailable. Clinical trials in the UK are also underway, aiming to help more young men with frozen testicular tissue have biological children in the future.
