What Stem Cells Can Do for Infertile Couples?

Germ cells (GCs) are responsible for fertility in humans. Disruptionsin GC development or function cause infertility whichis a major medical problem that affects ۱۰-۱۵% of couplesworldwide. Current therapies for infertility are limited to invitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection techniqueswhich are not applicable to infertile cases with few or nogametes. Therefore, advanced therapies should be explored forinfertility treatment, which necessitates an in-depth understandingof GC development and function. However, low numberof germ cells especially at the early level of development hasbeen a limitation for studying GCs and mechanisms underlyingreproduction. In this regard, derivation of GCs from embryonicstem cells provides an unlimited source of material to supportthe research for exploring principles that underlie reproductionas well as generate functional gametes for infertile couples.Moreover, spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and oogonial stemcells (OSCs) that are reside in testis and ovary respectively, areconsidered as germline stem cells that are important source fordeveloping advanced therapies for fertility preservation thatoccur following cancer treatments. Importantly, OSCs havepotential to be used for infertile women who have low qualityoocytes that are failed in IVF cycles.In conclusion, different type of stem cells has potential to developadvanced therapies for infertile couples that are not curedby current methods. However, more research are needed to applythem in clinic.

کلیدواژه ها:

Embryonic Stem Cells ، Spermatogonial Stem Cells ، Oogonial Stem Cells ، Infertility ، Reproduction