Hope for men left infertile by childhood cancer

Remarkable fertility transplants can make fathers of men left with cancer in childhood.

In the New Year, scientists will apply for permission to start clinical trials on the human treatment.

Growing numbers of children are being affected by cancer. In the UK, cases have increased by 24% since 1990.

Scientists think that the increase in pollution may be partly to blame. 

Experts said the transplants would bring ‘real hope’ to boys who have to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy before puberty, which can damage their ability to make sperm in adulthood.

In order to freeze biopsies from healthy testicular tissue of children diagnosed with cancer, researchers in Oxford and Edinburgh have done so since 2016. 

Experts said the transplants would bring ‘real hope’ to boys who have to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy before puberty, which can damage their ability to make sperm in adulthood (File image)

Allowance is given for the trials to proceed. This will mark the first time that they are able to transplant these tissues back into patients with cancer (File Image).

The first time that they are able to implant these samples into patients with cancer is if the trials go ahead.

‘We are all very excited about it,’ said Professor Rod Mitchell, lead researcher of the project at the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh. 

After a successful trial in monkeys in America in 2019, Grady was born to his team. Grady is the first primate using this technique.

Similar treatments using ovarian tissues are used for women with cancer before they reach puberty. 

The first UK males could be treated for fertility in two or three years if they are successful.