Vrije Universiteit Brussel

First Human Transplant of Sperm-Producing Stem Cells Offers Hope for Childhood Cancer Survivors

2 months ago

• A 26-year-old bone cancer survivor has received the first known transplant of sperm-producing stem cells preserved from his childhood, marking a significant advancement in fertility preservation for pediatric cancer patients. • Approximately one-third of childhood cancer survivors face infertility from treatments, with prepubertal patients having limited options as they cannot bank mature reproductive cells before therapy. • The experimental procedure, developed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, follows successful animal studies and represents a potential breakthrough in oncofertility, though researchers caution results remain uncertain.