The Role of Stem Cell-Based Extracellular Vesicles in Male Fertility

Abstract

Fertility tends to decrease over time in physiological or various pathological conditions. Preservation of male and female fertility is of equal importance for successful reproduction. Protection and maintenance of male fertility and infertility treatment are among the medical fields that have attracted attention, especially in recent years. Various therapeutic approaches, especially sperm and testicular tissue cryopreservation, are applied for the preservation and continuity of fertility. In addition to these methods, which are routinely used, there is an increasing interest in stem cell-based therapies, which are not only aimed at preserving fertility but also effective in infertility treatment. Stem cells are therapeutic agents with high differentiation potential found at every stage of life. In the light of the studies, it has been determined that besides all the positive effects of stem cells, they contain nanoparticles known as extracellular vesicles in their structures. This review will discuss the type of extracellular vesicles, their biological functions, the use of stem cell-based extracellular vesicles in men, and current studies. © 2023 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved.