Title:Endogenous Factors in the Recovery of Reproductive Function After Testicular Injury and Cancer
Volume: 16
Issue: 7
Author(s): A. M.S. Silva, S. Correia, S. Socorro and C. J. Maia
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, male infertility, testicular cancer, fertility
preservation.
Abstract: The testes are one of the most delicate organs in the male body
and highly susceptible to the exogenous influences capable of inducing cell
damage. Cancer therapies are well known to negatively affect the male
reproductive tract with a severe impairment of spermatogenesis and
infertility. The present work aimed to systematically review the available
information about the different endogenous factors (hormonal and nonhormonal)
that may have protective or advantageous properties on the
recovery of male reproductive function after gonadal injury. Furthermore, the
perspective that these endogenous molecules could act as cryoprotectants
to improve the quality of cryopreserved semen samples was also discussed.
The knowledge reviewed herein allowed to identify promising factors able to mitigate the
male fertility problems arising either from oncological treatments or other gonadal damage,
and opened new possibilities to ameliorate the recovery of spermatogenesis or to preserve
fertility.
