Doctors in the United Kingdom anticipate performing the world's first transplant of testicular tissue in humans, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported on August 10.
The new procedure could have two uses: to restore fertility to cancer patients and to enable men to father children using another man's sperm. In the first use, testicular tissue would be removed, frozen, and then given back to the same patient once the patient was cancer-free. At Christie Hospital in Manchester, sperm-producing cells have been removed from 11 young patients scheduled to undergo chemotherapy, the BBC said. Surgeons plan to return the cells later.
In another use, the testicular tissue could be transplanted from one patient to another in an effort to restore fertility. For instance, a transplant could be performed from "a fertile father to an infertile son," the BBC said. "But ethics groups have warned that the technique could pose the problem of 'genetic adultery.'"
A testicular transplant could alleviate two stumbling blocks with preserving sperm, which is the conventional treatment. Preservation of sperm is not possible for young boys, and it requires the man's partner to undergo expensive medical treatment.
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