Hyaluronan(HA) binding assay: a good matchmaker to sperm
December 08, 2016
For in-vitro fertilization, the oocytes attract the sperms with better maturation status by hyaluronic acid of the surrounding cumulus cells.
In the 2016 annual meeting of Taiwan Society of Reproductive Medicine, Dr. Dionisios Sakkas from Boston IVF center, US, shared his experiences in semen processing and sperm selection,
1. Density：Gradient separation
2. Surface Charge：Electrophoresis
3. Morphological Characteristics: IMSI (intracytoplasmic morphologically-selected sperm injection)
4. Motility Characteristics： Microfluidics
5. Membrane Integrity：Hyaluronan(HA)-binding
According to the previously published articles, the performance of HA binding assay remains controversy. In 2016, a systemic review in Reproductive BioMedicine Online analyzed the sperms undergone HA binding assay and then used in ICSI. It demonstrated that the fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate showed no difference between the HA binding plus ICSI group and ICSI merely group. In contrast, Dr. Sakkas displayed several articles to show better good blastocyst rate (grading over BC) in the HA binding plus ICSI group.
In summary, different methods for sperm selection may be appropriate for the individualized concern. Of HA binding assay, both the cost and technical requirement were comparably lower than the other mentioned methods. It provided a simulation of in vivo fertilization to select the sperm with better maturation status.
Refereces:
· 2016 TSRM－ICSI for all? Selecting the best sperm!
· Clinical benefit using sperm hyaluronic acid binding technique in ICSI cycles: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Reproductive BioMedicine Online (2016) 32, 286–298
