Man, 26, receives world’s first sperm transplant in groundbreaking experiment to reverse infertility

A MAN has received the world's first sperm-making stem cell transplant in a groundbreaking experiment to reverse infertility.

Jaiwen Hsu, 26, has azoospermia, a condition where no sperm is present in the semen, leaving him unable to father a child.

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Azoospermia affects around one per cent of all men globally - or 500 men in every 50,000, according to research.

The often devastating condition is caused by hormonal dysfunction, blockages in the reproductive tract, or genetic conditions.

Even something as simple as using the heated seat function in a car can lower sperm production.

In this case, Jaiwen's infertility was caused by chemotherapy he received as a child to treat bone cancer, which can take a toll on the reproductive system.

For this clinical trial, doctors from the US used Jaiwen's own stem cells, which were harvested and frozen when he was younger, before his cancer treatment.

These sperm-forming stem cells, which are found in the testicles from birth, were reintroduced and transplanted into his reproductive system.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UP) medics used an ultrasound to guide a small needle through the base of the scrotum into the rete testis, a part of the testicle.

The hope is that this will mimic the natural process that occurs during puberty.

If the transplant succeeds, Jaiwen should begin producing sperm.

While no sperm have yet been detected in his semen, medics have confirmed the procedure did not damage the man's testicular tissue.

The experts plan to monitor his semen twice a year to see if sperm cells begin to develop.

“We’re not expecting a miracle result,” said reproductive scientist Kyle Orwig, PhD, a professor at UP’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, according to the Associated Press.

“What we expect is that the transplant of stem cells will produce a small amount of sperm and that in order to achieve a pregnancy with his partner that he would need a follow-up assisted reproductive technology, like IVF."

Many medical professionals are optimistic about this procedure.

"If refined and proven safe, spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) transplantation could be a revolutionary fertility-restoring technique for men who've lost the ability to produce sperm," Dr Justin Houman, an assistant professor of urology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told LiveScience.

It could be especially helpful for “cancer survivors treated before puberty or men with genetic or acquired testicular failure,” he added.

Until now, the procedure had only been tested in animals, where it successfully allowed male mice and monkeys to father offspring.

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This marks the first time it has been trialled on a human, with the findings published in a paper on the preprint server medRxiv.

The researchers note that there’s a possibility the patient may never recover full fertility due to the small amount of stem cells collected as a child.

And if it does work, risks remain, particularly for cancer patients, as some transplanted stem cells might have genetic mutations that could lead to new tumours.

Dr Justin added, "We need to proceed cautiously and with rigorous oversight. This is promising science — but it’s still early days."