Germ cell transplantation, a powerful assisted reproductive technology, is widely used to study the functional characterization of stem cells. The technology is also used for conservation and propagation of elite germlines. In teleost fish model, the technique has been successfully established to generate donor-derived gametes by transplanting primordial germ cells (PGC) or spermatogonial cells...

Testicular cell transplantation has been widely used to investigate the biology of spermatogonial stem cells, production of transgenic animals, and restoration of fertility in rodent models. One critical step in successful transplantation is the preparation of the recipient testes. Busulfan has been widely used, but irradiation has been often suggested as an alternative. There have only been li...

The origin and development of the spermatogenic cell lineage is reviewed, as well as spermatogonial kinetics in adult nonprimate mammals in relation to the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium, the emphasis being on spermatogonial stem cells. A hypothesis is presented for the transition from foetal germ cells, gonocytes, to adult type spermatogonia at the start of spermatogenesis. An overview i...

INTRODUCTION Patients faced with infertility due to spermatogonial stem cell loss have currently semen cryobanking as only option for fertility preservation. A growing group of patients cannot benefit from this strategy as they are devoid of spermatozoa or even of any spermatogenic cell at the time of diagnosis. We therefore aimed at investigating alternative strategies to preserve or restore f...

Fertility preservation strategies are currently being developed for boys facing spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) loss. However, it is not clear yet which transplantation strategy would be the best choice. Therefore, the aim of the work presented in this thesis was both to compare these strategies and to study how to improve their efficiency. The efficiency to restore spermatogenesis after transpl...

The past 30 years have been marked by unparalleled accomplishments in the medical treatment of malignancy. Prior to advances in chemotherapeutic and radiation treatment, many oncologic conditions had dismal survival rates. Today, medical interventions have success rates that approach complete remission for many malignancies. An inadvertent complication of these therapies, however, has been the ...