Identifying status of male fertility by determining sperm capacitation
AssigneeCornell University
InventorsAlexander J. Travis, Gianpiero Palermo
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Abstract
This disclosure provides a method for determining male fertility status. The method comprises determining GM1 distribution patterns following induced sperm capacitation, identifying the frequency of distribution of various patterns, and determining if the frequency distribution of certain GM1 patterns in response to induced capacitation is altered. Based on the change in the frequency distribution patterns of certain patterns in response to induced capacitation, alone or in combination with other sperm attributes, male fertility status can be identified.
Claims11
A method for identifying fertility status of a human male individual comprising:
- obtaining a sperm sample from a human male;
- exposing said sperm to capacitating conditions in vitro to obtain capacitated sperm;
- fixing the in vitro capacitated sperm with a fixative;
- staining the in vitro capacitated and fixed sperm;
- identifying a capacitated state of the human male based on a sum percentage of apical acrosome (AA) GM1 patterns;
- and a percentage of acrosomal plasma membrane (APM) GM1 patterns in the in vitro capacitated, fixed, and stained sperm;
- and
- determining a fertility status of the human male by comparing the identified capacitated state to a predetermined fertility threshold based on a sum of a percentage of AA and a percentage of APM GM1 patterns for a fertile population;
- and
- proceeding with a suitable assisted reproduction treatment to achieve fertilization based on the fertility status so determined, wherein the suitable assisted reproduction treatment comprises performing an intrauterine insemination (IUD), an in vitro fertilization (IVF) or an intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
A method for identifying fertility status of a human male individual comprising:
- exposing a sperm sample from the individual to capacitating conditions in vitro to obtain capacitated sperm;
- fixing the in vitro capacitated sperm with a fixative;
- staining the in vitro capacitated and fixed sperm;
- identifying GM1 patterns, including induced apical acrosome (AA) GM1 patterns and acrosomal plasma membrane (APM) GM1 patterns;
- comparing a frequency of AA+(APM)GM1 patterns in the in vitro capacitated, fixed, and stained sperm to a fertility threshold which is one standard deviation below a mean percentage of AA+APM GM1 patterns for a fertile population,
- determining a fertile status of the human male when the frequency of AA+APM GM1 patterns is greater than the fertility threshold, and determining an infertile or a sub-fertile status of the human male when the frequency of AA+APM GM1 patterns is less than the fertility threshold;
- and
- proceeding with a suitable assisted reproduction treatment to achieve fertilization based on the infertile or sub-fertile status so determined, and wherein the suitable assisted reproduction treatment comprises an intrauterine insemination (IUI), an in vitro fertilization (IVF) or an intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.