Eric Lameignere: Female Reproductive Tract-on-a-Chip Technology Could Transform Functional Sperm Selection
Eric Lameignere, Co-Founder at MovaLife microrobotics, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Reproducing nature: a microfluidic ‘Female Reproductive Tract on a Chip’
A Chinese research team describes an original experimental device for sperm selection: the Female Reproductive Tract on a Chip (FRToC), a biomimetic microfluidic system designed to replicate the key mechanisms of natural sperm selection occurring within the female reproductive tract.
Unlike conventional methods based on a single criterion, typically density or motility, FRToC relies on a multi-step functional selection, through a sequence of physiologically barriers.
The device consists of interconnected microchambers and microchannels made of biocompatible materials. Spermatozoa sequentially encounter:
- narrow microchannels promoting boundary following
- a viscoelastic region mimicking cervical mucus, selecting sperm capable of maintaining coherent motility under constraint a dense matrix simulating the cumulus oophorus environment surrounding the oocyte
The authors evaluated the biological impact of FRToC across several key parameters:
- Sperm DNA fragmentation (DFI), measured by SCSA, decreases dramatically from initially high values (≈35–60%) to ~0.7%, compared to ~5% with conventional selction methods
- Motility and kinematic parameters (VCL, VSL, VAP, LIN), assessed by CASA, are preserved
- Intracellular oxidative stress, measured using ROS fluorescent probes, is significantly reduced, with enrichment in antioxidant enzymes such as catalase
- Chromosomal integrity, assessed via single-cell CNV analysis, shows disappearance of segmental alterations observed pre-selection (up to 25% depending on patients)
The trade-off: FRToC yield remains low — around 1 to 5% of initial spermatozoa .
At MovaLife microrobotics, we follow these biomimetic approaches with great interest. While yield remains a critical parameter that may limit applicability in conventional IVF, it could make such technologies particularly relevant for ICSI, where selection quality outweighs quantity.”
Read more.
Title: Female Reproductive Tract-on-a-Chip for Selecting Sperm with Ultra-Low DNA Fragmentation Index
Authors: Jing Dai, Han Shan, Yifan Gu, Mingde Zheng, Li Lou, Pingyuan Xie, Shen Zhang, Zheng Sun, Fei Gong, Guangxiu Lu, Ge Lin, Zeyu Chen
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