Sperm selection with columns of annexin

Sperm DNA damage can be one of the factors responsible for infertility. There are couples who have difficulty conceiving who have a history of long-term infertility or repeated pregnancy failure without apparent cause. Therefore, in recent years, the analysis of sperm DNA fragmentation has gained great importance during the evaluation of the male factor. In the presence of damage to the sperm DNA, Dr. Vanesa Rawe, CREA scientific consultant and director of REPROTEC states that there are "different sperm selection alternatives at the time of ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection): the use of testicular sperm ( English: testicular sperm aspiration, TESA) -selected spermatozoa are aspirated directly from the testicle-, morphological selection with high magnification (from: Intracytoplasmic Morphologically- Selected Sperm Injection, IMSI®), sperm selection after gluing to hyaluronic acid (PICSI®) and the use of sperm after passage through Columns of Annexins V or MACS (from English: Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting®) ". The technique known as annexin columns allows a specific selection of ejaculated sperm with better options to present their full DNA, leading to healthy embryos.

Based on CREA's own experience and "the results with the use of selected spermatozoa with MACS -technology used in several areas of biotechnology for depletion and obtaining different cell populations- they are clearly promising". However, the samples of infertile patients should be considered in the context of the clinic that each patient presents.

Dr. Vanesa Rawe emphasizes that "in each case it is important to diagnose the underlying sperm pathology including ultrastructural investigations, DNA fragmentation , together with the andrological disorders present that affect sperm quality (varicocele, cryptorchidism, infections, etc.) for that way we can take adequate therapeutic measures. "