Scientists from Monash University in Australia are offering hope for couples struggling with infertility by enhancing sperm motility through ultrasound waves, addressing a significant fertility challenge.
According to the researchers, 59% of slow-moving, infertile sperms became active following 20 seconds of exposure. The maximum observed increase in sperm motility was 266%. The research is crucial as clinical data shows a 10% improvement could mean an 8% higher chance of pregnancy.
The team at Monash split 50 sperm samples into three groups (immotile, slow, and rapid) based on swimming speed. Separated sperm cells were then analyzed for motility before and after exposure to ultrasound waves at 800 milliwatts and 40 megahertz.
"Semen analysis is crucial for men trying to conceive, but just looking at sperm count and concentration isn't enough," researcher Ryan P. Smith from the University of Virginia told Tech Times in an interview. "To get a more accurate picture, we need to assess the total motile sperm count. This tells us how many sperm can swim and move, which is essential for reaching and fertilizing the egg."
Ultrasound Waves To Improve Sperm Motility
The observed increase in swimming performance likely stems from high metabolism driving higher sperm activity. Improved metabolism means faster conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy, causing rhythmic flagellar beating, a key prerequisite to the movement of sperm cells inside the female reproductive tract.
While the research is still in its early stages, the team has found a potential downside and is looking to mitigate it. Junyang Gai from Monash University told Tech Times in an interview that "increased metabolic activity translates to more energy production, but also higher ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) generation. While low-moderate ROS levels regulate functions including sperm capacitation, high levels are detrimental and can even trigger premature death of fertile sperms, with chances of DNA mutation."
The sustained motility, too, is under scanner as IVF-assisted reproduction needs to have higher velocity for more than 24 hours while the study prolongs high VCL (curvilinear velocity) for up to 5 minutes only.
A rich antioxidant diet with vitamins C, E, and selenium can help balance ROS production.
Ultrasound Waves
As of now, doctors are relying on specific drugs, including LC, LAC (20), and PF (14), to boost sperm speed. However, some of these chemicals are shown to cause embryotoxicity and even damage sperm DNA.
Fertility experts rely on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to inject a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of a mature egg. While ICSI has helped many couples achieve pregnancy, the procedure is highly invasive, slow, and even comes with the risk of genetic abnormalities and congenital disabilities. The success rate of ICSI, too, is under scanner as it's a relatively new technique for IVF-opting couples.
In such cases, ultrasound waves to boost fertility offer hope as a non-intrusive and faster reproductive technique.
"Our method is not invasive and can be used to either induce a twitching motility to detect the viability of immotile sperm or increase the swimming velocity of motile sperm for better selection," said Jungyang Gai.
The state of male infertility looks dire as sperm counts seem to be down worldwide, even halving over the last 50 years. Roughly 1 in 8 couples in the U.S. struggle to conceive. Despite years of study, scientists haven't been able to pinpoint the exact causes of declining sperm health. At other times, men facing infertility often experience shame and social stigma, leading to under-diagnosis and delayed treatment.
"In 30-50% of cases, even reproductive specialists cannot pinpoint the cause. There is almost nothing more disheartening than telling a couple, "I don't know," or "There's nothing I can do to help, " said Smith.
Moreover, despite the global demand for assisted reproductive treatments, the options are viciously limited, especially when 1 in 3 IVF cycles stems from male infertility. This lack of access is compounded by emerging research that links male fertility problems to an increased risk of 34 types of cancer, including colon, uterus, and testicle, and incidences of cardiovascular diseases in men and their relatives. Worryingly, several studies have identified the potential impact of COVID-19 on male fertility, with the virus detected in testicular tissue even three months after infection.
About the author: Avya Chaudhary is a technology writer whose work has appeared in TechRepublic Premium, PageFly, TechnologyAdvice, and Hatica. Find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/avya-chaudhary.
