Frozen testicular tissue transplanted in bid to restore fertility after chemotherapy

A young patient in Edinburgh has undergone a pioneering procedure, receiving a transplant of his own testicular tissue, frozen before he began chemotherapy, in a development that could pave the way for male fertility preservation, a first such procedure in the UK and second worldwide.“This is a big step towards helping boys facing treatments that damage their fertility to have children of their own,” said Rod Mitchell, professor of developmental endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Regeneration and Repair.The 19-year-old received a bone marrow transplant in 2023 to treat a serious blood disorder. Before starting treatment, he had testicular tissue removed and frozen because the high-dose chemotherapy could permanently damage the cells needed to produce sperm.Three years later, tests showed that the patient had no sperm in his semen.