Platelet-rich plasma therapy in the management and treatment of male infertility—an update of state-of-art

Ziyad S Haidar

doi:10.55092/bm20240006

Review

Open Access

Platelet-rich plasma therapy in the management and treatment of male infertility—an update of state-of-art

Ziyad S Haidar^1,^2,^3,^4,^5,⁶

¹ BioMAT’X R&D&I (HAiDAR I+D+i) LAB, Chile

² Clínica Universidad de los Andes Hospital, Región Metropolitana, Chile

³ Facultad de Odontología / Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile

⁴ Programa de Doctorado en BioMedicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile

⁵ Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Odontológicas, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile

⁶ Centro de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica (CiiB), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile

E-mail: zhaidar@uandes.cl

Volume
Volume 2 Issue 2, 2024
Citation
Haidar ZS. Platelet-rich plasma therapy in the management and treatment of male infertility—an update of state-of-art. Biofunct. Mater. 2024(2):0006, https://doi.org/10.55092/bm20240006.
DOI
10.55092/bm20240006
Copyright
Copyright2024 by the authors. Published by ELSP.
Special Issue
Biofunctional Materials for Tissue Regeneration

Abstract

Platelets are small cell fragments in the blood that play a crucial role in blood clotting and wound healing. Through a process called apheresis, where blood is drawn from a donor, separated into its components using a centrifuge, platelet concentrates are obtained. Of those, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) has garnered considerable attention in recent years mainly due to its attractive regenerative and wound healing properties, prompting extensive research in a wide range of applications. Within the realm of human reproduction, PRP can be considered a biofunctional material as it contains cytokines that have demonstrated notable effects on sperm quality and function. This article aims to present a comprehensive literature review on the utilization of PRP for male infertility treatment. A thorough bibliographic search was conducted encompassing articles and reviews published in scientific journals over the last 5 years, focusing on the potential of PRP formulations in addressing male factor infertility. Overall, nine publications were identified, suggesting the PRP application across various domains including sperm cryopreservation, management of oxidative stress, cultivation of spermatogonial stem cells, and in addressing azoospermia (absence of sperm in the ejaculate or semen of a male). Findings indicate that supplementing the cryopreservation media with PRP enhances sperm parameters, while PRP-incubated samples exhibit a heightened antioxidant capacity. Moreover, PRP demonstrates potential in augmenting the proliferation and vitality of spermatogonial stem cells, alongside facilitating sperm recovery in non-obstructive azoospermia cases (where the problem with sperm production lies within the testes themselves and not due to any physical duct obstruction). Despite promising outcomes, research with larger sample sizes is warranted to delineate optimal protocols and ascertain the clinical safety, efficacy, and predictability of PRP therapy in male infertility management.

Keywords

platelets; plateletrich plasma; PRP; male infertility; platelet therapy; semenogram; spermatozoa; sperm quality; growth factors; cryopreservation; cytokines; oxidative stress; spermatogonial stem cells; azoospermia; Klinefelter syndrome; vas deferens

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References

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