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Technological and clinical advances in sperm cryopreservation: A literature review
1
Students’ Scientific Club, Department of Urology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice,
Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
2
Department of Urology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
Corresponding author
Kamil Kania
Studenckie Koło Naukowe, Oddział Kliniczny Urologii, Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny Nr 5 im. św. Barbary, pl. Medyków 1, 41-200 Sosnowiec
Studenckie Koło Naukowe, Oddział Kliniczny Urologii, Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny Nr 5 im. św. Barbary, pl. Medyków 1, 41-200 Sosnowiec
Ann. Acad. Med. Siles. 2026;80:133-143
KEYWORDS
antioxidantsmale infertilitysperm cryopreservationvitrificationcryoprotectantsfertility preservation
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Cryopreservation of sperm is a mandatory fertility preservation technique, particularly for preventing fertility loss among oncological patients. As technology advances toward better freezing protocols to maximize post-thaw sperm quality, this review presents current applications, efficacy, and progress in the field, focusing on new cryoprotectants, vitrification protocols, and quality-facilitating strategies. The analysis covers innovations such as vitrification with cryoprotectant microinjection, cryoprotectant-free strategies, and the addition of natural antioxidants (γ-tocopherol or Sargassum extract) or pharmacological agents (pentoxifylline, melatonin, or caffeine). The review also addresses clinical outcomes in special populations, including oncological patients, men with Klinefelter syndrome, HIV-1–positive individuals, and patients with disorders of sex development. Although clinical evidence demonstrates that cryopreservation significantly enhances the potential of preserving fertility, the utilization rates of stored specimens remain low. Currently, a distinguishable transition is observed from conventional slow-freezing protocols to vitrification strategies and modifications of the cryogenic environment that reduce cellular injury. However, due to small sample sizes and differences in protocols among studies, it has been noted that there exists a need to standardize practices, identify predictive biomarkers, and adapt protocols for an ever-changing population of patients. Further research in multicenter randomized controlled trials would be important to identify effective ways of optimizing this method.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Statement:
To translate the text from Polish into English, the authors used OpenAI's
ChatGPT. After translation, the text was proofread and authorized by a native speaker.
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