The very rapid advancements in assisted reproductive techniques (ART) during the last decades have been driven by a general progress in medical research but also by a great desire of the society to be able to fulfill the basic human need to reproduce. Since the birth of the first IVF-baby in 1978, new techniques such as intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), pregestational diagnosis (PGS) an...

Today, with advances in assisted reproductive techniques, many infertile couples are able to have children. However, there is always risk of passing genetic abnormalities associated with infertility from parents to children. Therefore, detection of microdeletions of Y chromosome in patients with spermatogenesis failure seems very important. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequen...

At some point during their reproductive lives, approximately one quarter of all couples experience a period of infertility lasting over one year, leading many to seek council from an infertility specialist.1 For those who need some form of intervention to assist with conception, there are a range of available treatment options, including lifestyle modification, medication, surgery, and a variet...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the levels of microbial contamination in semen samples before and after the micro swim-up (MSU) procedure in intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The new method is an upgrade to the classic wash swim-up procedure. METHODS Semen analysis and microbiological tests were carried out before and after the MSU procedure. A total of twenty semen samples were ...

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has increased the potential of the assisted reproductive technologies to propagate mammalian species and has provided an opportunity for research into cell cycle control and the mechanisms involved in sperm-induced oocyte activation. We have investigated the efficacy of ICSI in the rhesus monkey, the mechanism of fertilization following sperm injection an...

Spermatogenesis is an essential stage in human male gamete development, which is regulated by many Y chromosome specific genes. Most of these genes are centred in a specific region located on the long arm of the human Y chromosome known as the azoospermia factor region (AZF). Deletion events are common in Y chromosome because of its peculiar structural organization. Astonishingly, among the sev...

Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L3 (UCHL3) belongs to the group of deubiquitinating enzymes and plays a part in apoptosis of germ cells and the differentiation of spermatocytes into spermatids. However, the exact role of UCHL3 in human spermatogenesis and sperm function remains unknown. Here we examined the level and activity of UCHL3 in spermatozoa from men with asthenozoospermia (A), oligoasth...

Stimulated by state-of-the-art robotic and computer technology, Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) automation aims to scale and seamlessly transfer the human hand movements into more precise and fast movements of the micro manipulator. Piezo-drill cell injection, a novel technique using piezo-driven pipettes with a very small mercury column, has significantly improves the survival rates o...