Human Sperm Cryopreservation as an Alternative to the Decline of Sperm Quality With Aging

NCT07814235 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 2303-MUR-046-JM101120126
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This observational study will evaluate whether sperm cryopreservation can help preserve sperm quality and molecular characteristics that may be affected by increasing paternal age. Men aged 18 years and older will provide a semen sample and a blood sample for laboratory analysis. Each semen sample will be divided into fresh, slow-frozen, and vitrified aliquots. The study will compare sperm quality (as assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis), DNA methylation profiles, DNA fragmentation, sperm telomere length before and after cryopreservation. The effects of age on these parameters will also be assessed. The impact of age on seminal plasma extracellular vesicle composition and blood cell telomere length will also be analysed. The goal is to determine whether sperm cryopreservation may represent a strategy for preserving sperm characteristics associated with younger paternal age.

Conditions

Aging; Epigenetic Aging; Infertility; Assisted Reproduction Technologies; Male Fertility

Keywords

infertility; cryopreservation; sperm; semen; semen analysis; DNA methylation; epigenetics; assisted reproductive technology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Sperm DNA methylation profile

  DNA methylation levels of a predefined nine-gene panel measured by pyrosequencing with duplicate measurements and compared between fresh, slow-frozen, and vitrified sperm samples.

  Baseline (study semen collection visit) and after thawing of cryopreserved semen samples, through study completion (up to 9 months).

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Sperm concentration

  Baseline (study semen collection visit) and after thawing of cryopreserved semen samples, through study completion (up to 9 months).

• Total sperm motility

  Baseline (study semen collection visit) and after thawing of cryopreserved semen samples, through study completion (up to 9 months).

• Progressive sperm motility

  Baseline (study semen collection visit) and after thawing of cryopreserved semen samples, through study completion (up to 9 months).

• Normal sperm morphology

  Baseline (study semen collection visit) and after thawing of cryopreserved semen samples, through study completion (up to 9 months).

• Sperm DNA fragmentation

  Baseline (study semen collection visit) and after thawing of cryopreserved semen samples, through study completion (up to 9 months).

Other Outcomes (1)

• Blood leukocyte telomere length

  Baseline (study blood collection visit).

Study Arms (3)

Men aged 18-39 years

Male participants aged 18-39 years who provide semen and blood samples for laboratory assessment of sperm quality and molecular characteristics. Semen samples are divided into fresh, slow-frozen, and vitrified aliquots for comparative analysis.

Men aged 40-49 years

Male participants aged 40-49 years who provide semen and blood samples for laboratory assessment of sperm quality and molecular characteristics. Semen samples are divided into fresh, slow-frozen, and vitrified aliquots for comparative analysis.

Men aged ≥50 years

Male participants aged 50 years and older who provide semen and blood samples for laboratory assessment of sperm quality and molecular characteristics. Semen samples are divided into fresh, slow-frozen, and vitrified aliquots for comparative analysis.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult men aged 18-65 years attending IVI Murcia for semen analysis, fertility assessment, semen donation, or assisted reproduction treatment who meet the study eligibility criteria and provide informed consent. Participants will provide semen and blood samples for laboratory assessment of sperm quality and molecular characteristics before and after cryopreservation.

You may qualify if:

• Male participants aged 18 to 65 years
• Attending IVI Murcia for semen analysis and/or assisted reproduction treatment
• Able and willing to provide written informed consent
• Willing to provide a semen sample and a blood sample for research purposes

You may not qualify if:

• Previous diagnosis of azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia (sperm concentration \<1 million sperm/mL)
• Known chromosomal abnormality (abnormal karyotype)
• Known Y chromosome microdeletion
• Febrile illness within the previous 3 months
• Presence of varicocele
• Current use of vitamin or antioxidant supplements intended to improve semen quality

Sponsors & Collaborators

• IVI Murcia: lead
• European Union: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

IVI Murcia

Murcia, Murcia, 30007, Spain

RECRUITING

Related Publications (28)

• Wang W, Todorov P, Pei C, Wang M, Isachenko E, Rahimi G, Mallmann P, Isachenko V. Epigenetic Alterations in Cryopreserved Human Spermatozoa: Suspected Potential Functional Defects. Cells. 2022 Jul 4;11(13):2110. doi: 10.3390/cells11132110.

  PMID: 35805194 BACKGROUND

• Wang D, Jueraitetibaike K, Tang T, Wang Y, Jing J, Xue T, Ma J, Cao S, Lin Y, Li X, Ma R, Chen X, Yao B. Seminal Plasma and Seminal Plasma Exosomes of Aged Male Mice Affect Early Embryo Implantation via Immunomodulation. Front Immunol. 2021 Oct 12;12:723409. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.723409. eCollection 2021.

  PMID: 34712227 BACKGROUND

• Tao Y, Sanger E, Saewu A, Leveille MC. Human sperm vitrification: the state of the art. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2020 Mar 7;18(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s12958-020-00580-5.

  PMID: 32145746 BACKGROUND

• Sysoeva AP, Makarova NP, Silachev DN, Lobanova NN, Shevtsova YA, Bragina EE, Kalinina EA, Sukhikh GT. Influence of Extracellular Vesicles of the Follicular Fluid on Morphofunctional Characteristics of Human Sperm. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2021 Dec;172(2):254-262. doi: 10.1007/s10517-021-05372-4. Epub 2021 Dec 2.

  PMID: 34855079 BACKGROUND

• Khosravizadeh Z, Khodamoradi K, Rashidi Z, Jahromi M, Shiri E, Salehi E, Talebi A. Sperm cryopreservation and DNA methylation: possible implications for ART success and the health of offspring. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2022 Aug;39(8):1815-1824. doi: 10.1007/s10815-022-02545-6. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

  PMID: 35713751 BACKGROUND

• Sciamanna I, Serafino A, Shapiro JA, Spadafora C. The active role of spermatozoa in transgenerational inheritance. Proc Biol Sci. 2019 Aug 28;286(1909):20191263. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1263. Epub 2019 Aug 28.

  PMID: 31455195 BACKGROUND

• Reshi QUA, Godakumara K, Ord J, Dissanayake K, Hasan MM, Andronowska A, Heath P, Fazeli A. Spermatozoa, acts as an external cue and alters the cargo and production of the extracellular vesicles derived from oviductal epithelial cells in vitro. J Cell Commun Signal. 2023 Sep;17(3):737-755. doi: 10.1007/s12079-022-00715-w. Epub 2022 Dec 5.

  PMID: 36469292 BACKGROUND

• Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The clinical utility of sperm DNA integrity testing: a guideline. Fertil Steril. 2013 Mar 1;99(3):673-7. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.12.049. Epub 2013 Feb 1.

  PMID: 23391408 BACKGROUND

• Njajou OT, Cawthon RM, Damcott CM, Wu SH, Ott S, Garant MJ, Blackburn EH, Mitchell BD, Shuldiner AR, Hsueh WC. Telomere length is paternally inherited and is associated with parental lifespan. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Jul 17;104(29):12135-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0702703104. Epub 2007 Jul 10.

  PMID: 17623782 BACKGROUND

• Machtinger R, Laurent LC, Baccarelli AA. Extracellular vesicles: roles in gamete maturation, fertilization and embryo implantation. Hum Reprod Update. 2016 Mar-Apr;22(2):182-93. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmv055. Epub 2015 Dec 9.

  PMID: 26663221 BACKGROUND

• Lismer A, Kimmins S. Emerging evidence that the mammalian sperm epigenome serves as a template for embryo development. Nat Commun. 2023 Apr 14;14(1):2142. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37820-2.

  PMID: 37059740 BACKGROUND

• Laurentino S, Cremers JF, Horsthemke B, Tuttelmann F, Czeloth K, Zitzmann M, Pohl E, Rahmann S, Schroder C, Berres S, Redmann K, Krallmann C, Schlatt S, Kliesch S, Gromoll J. A germ cell-specific ageing pattern in otherwise healthy men. Aging Cell. 2020 Oct;19(10):e13242. doi: 10.1111/acel.13242. Epub 2020 Sep 20.

  PMID: 32951333 BACKGROUND

• Kumar P, Wang M, Isachenko E, Rahimi G, Mallmann P, Wang W, von Brandenstein M, Isachenko V. Unraveling Subcellular and Ultrastructural Changes During Vitrification of Human Spermatozoa: Effect of a Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant and a Permeable Cryoprotectant. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Jul 2;9:672862. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.672862. eCollection 2021.

  PMID: 34277615 BACKGROUND

• Klaver R, Bleiziffer A, Redmann K, Mallidis C, Kliesch S, Gromoll J. Routine cryopreservation of spermatozoa is safe--evidence from the DNA methylation pattern of nine spermatozoa genes. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2012 Sep;29(9):943-50. doi: 10.1007/s10815-012-9813-z. Epub 2012 Jun 13.

  PMID: 22692281 BACKGROUND

• Khosronezhad N, Hassanzadeh V, Hezavehei M, Shahverdi AH, Shahhoseini M. Comparative Epigenetic Analysis of Imprinting Genes Involved in Fertility, in Cryopreserved Human Sperms with Rapid Freezing versus Vitrification Methods. Cell J. 2023 Apr 1;25(4):238-246. doi: 10.22074/cellj.2023.1974291.1171.

  PMID: 37210644 BACKGROUND

• Jenkins TG, Aston KI, Cairns B, Smith A, Carrell DT. Paternal germ line aging: DNA methylation age prediction from human sperm. BMC Genomics. 2018 Oct 22;19(1):763. doi: 10.1186/s12864-018-5153-4.

  PMID: 30348084 BACKGROUND

• Jenkins TG, Aston KI, Carrell DT. Sperm epigenetics and aging. Transl Androl Urol. 2018 Jul;7(Suppl 3):S328-S335. doi: 10.21037/tau.2018.06.10.

  PMID: 30159239 BACKGROUND

• Hezavehei M, Sharafi M, Kouchesfahani HM, Henkel R, Agarwal A, Esmaeili V, Shahverdi A. Sperm cryopreservation: A review on current molecular cryobiology and advanced approaches. Reprod Biomed Online. 2018 Sep;37(3):327-339. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2018.05.012. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

  PMID: 30143329 BACKGROUND

• Voros C, Chatzinikolaou F, Papadimas G, Polykalas S, Mavrogianni D, Koulakmanidis AM, Athanasiou D, Kanaka V, Kanaka M, Bananis K, Athanasiou A, Athanasiou A, Papapanagiotou I, Vaitsis D, Tsimpoukelis C, Daskalaki MA, Theodora M, Thomakos N, Antsaklis P, Loutradis D, Daskalakis G. Sperm-Derived Extracellular Vesicles (Sperm-EVs), Emerging Biomarkers and Functional Modulators in Male Infertility and Assisted Reproduction. Genes (Basel). 2025 Nov 22;16(12):1400. doi: 10.3390/genes16121400.

  PMID: 41465073 BACKGROUND

• Fernandez de la Puente M, Salas-Huetos A, Valle-Hita C, Babio N, Murphy MM, Canudas S, Salas-Salvado J. Is telomere length a biomarker of sperm quality? A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Andrology. 2024 Feb;12(2):277-288. doi: 10.1111/andr.13482. Epub 2023 Jun 25.

  PMID: 37328426 BACKGROUND

• Ferlin A, Rampazzo E, Rocca MS, Keppel S, Frigo AC, De Rossi A, Foresta C. In young men sperm telomere length is related to sperm number and parental age. Hum Reprod. 2013 Dec;28(12):3370-6. doi: 10.1093/humrep/det392. Epub 2013 Oct 27.

  PMID: 24166593 BACKGROUND

• Estudillo E, Jimenez A, Bustamante-Nieves PE, Palacios-Reyes C, Velasco I, Lopez-Ornelas A. Cryopreservation of Gametes and Embryos and Their Molecular Changes. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 8;22(19):10864. doi: 10.3390/ijms221910864.

  PMID: 34639209 BACKGROUND

• Eisenberg DTA, Lee NR, Rej PH, Hayes MG, Kuzawa CW. Older paternal ages and grandpaternal ages at conception predict longer telomeres in human descendants. Proc Biol Sci. 2019 May 29;286(1903):20190800. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0800. Epub 2019 May 29.

  PMID: 31138065 BACKGROUND

• De Meyer T, Rietzschel ER, De Buyzere ML, De Bacquer D, Van Criekinge W, De Backer GG, Gillebert TC, Van Oostveldt P, Bekaert S; Asklepios investigators. Paternal age at birth is an important determinant of offspring telomere length. Hum Mol Genet. 2007 Dec 15;16(24):3097-102. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddm271. Epub 2007 Sep 19.

  PMID: 17881651 BACKGROUND

• Chen H, Alves MBR, Belleannee C. Contribution of epididymal epithelial cell functions to sperm epigenetic changes and the health of progeny. Hum Reprod Update. 2021 Dec 21;28(1):51-66. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmab029.

  PMID: 34618012 BACKGROUND

• Caroppo E, Skinner MK. Could the sperm epigenome become a diagnostic tool for evaluation of the infertile man? Hum Reprod. 2024 Mar 1;39(3):478-485. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dead266.

  PMID: 38148019 BACKGROUND

• Blackburn EH, Gall JG. A tandemly repeated sequence at the termini of the extrachromosomal ribosomal RNA genes in Tetrahymena. J Mol Biol. 1978 Mar 25;120(1):33-53. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(78)90294-2. No abstract available.

  PMID: 642006 BACKGROUND

• Aston KI, Hunt SC, Susser E, Kimura M, Factor-Litvak P, Carrell D, Aviv A. Divergence of sperm and leukocyte age-dependent telomere dynamics: implications for male-driven evolution of telomere length in humans. Mol Hum Reprod. 2012 Nov;18(11):517-22. doi: 10.1093/molehr/gas028. Epub 2012 Jul 9.

  PMID: 22782639 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 6th ed

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITH DNA

Semen samples will be retained for DNA methylation, telomere length, DNA fragmentation, extracellular vesicle, and other molecular analyses related to sperm quality and aging. Blood samples will be retained for telomere length analysis.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Infertility

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 29, 2026
• First Posted: September 10, 2026
• Study Start: June 10, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2027
• Last Updated: September 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Locations

ES (1)