Autologous Testicular Tissue Transplantation

NCT ID: NCT05414045

Last Updated: 2025-04-03

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

5 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-11-22

Study Completion Date

2030-10-29

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Freezing testicular tissue of prepubertal boys is a method for preserving spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in case of imminent gonadotoxic treatment during childhood. In case of total azoospermia in adulthood and presence of a childwish, the investigators intend to perform the first in men autologous testicular tissue transplantation to restore fertility.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Freezing testicular tissue of prepubertal boys is a method for preserving spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). In 2002, the University hospital in Brussels (UZB) was the first hospital worldwide to offer testicular tissue cryobanking for fertility preservation in boys and ado-lescents. Since then, several other centers in Europe and USA have implemented similar fertility preservation programs. However, up till now, autologous transplantations of cryopreserved testicular tissue have not been performed yet.

As soon as a patient returns to the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at UZB with the request to transplant the preserved testicular tissue, the investigators will first analyse semen and blood. If spermatozoa are found in their semen, men can immediately enroll in standard care for natural conception, intra-uterine insemination (IUI), in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intra-cytoplasmic injection (ICSI). However, in case no spermatozoa are found in the ejaculate the investigators intend to propose and eventually perform autologous testicular tissue transplantation with the primary objective being to restore spermatogenesis and fertility.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Cancer Sickle Cell Thalassemia Hematologic Diseases

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

All eligible patients for the study will have the same treatment: autologous testicular tissue transplantation with testicular tissue containing spermatogonial stem cells frozen at pre-pubertal age. Transplantation will be performed subcutaneously in the scrotum and intra-testicular.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Patients

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Autologous testicular tissue transplantation of prepubertal frozen testicular tissue

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Freezing testicular tissue of prepubertal boys is a method for preserving spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs).

If the patient has a childwish on adult age and in case no spermatozoa are found in the ejaculate, the investigators will perform autologous testicular tissue transplantation with the primary objective being to restore spermatogenesis and fertility.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Autologous testicular tissue transplantation of prepubertal frozen testicular tissue

Freezing testicular tissue of prepubertal boys is a method for preserving spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs).

If the patient has a childwish on adult age and in case no spermatozoa are found in the ejaculate, the investigators will perform autologous testicular tissue transplantation with the primary objective being to restore spermatogenesis and fertility.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* At least 18 years old
* Desire to become a parent at the moment of intake
* Stable relationship with a female partner and minimal one year cohabiting
* Age of female partner \< 43 year
* Azoospermia on 2 semen analyses
* Normal standardised preliminary and preoperative bloodsampling results
* Complete remission of the oncological or hematological disease
* Approval of the treating oncologist or other specialist in case of non-oncological disease as reason for the testicular tissue preservation as a child
* Risk for presence of malignant cells in testicular tissue is negligible (according to multidisciplinary assessment)
* Presence of SSCs (positive MAGE staining) in one or two of the thawed fragments (If absence of SSCs in two of the thawed fragments, the case will be discussed multidisciplinary)
* Written informed consent for the transplantation of cryopreserved testicular tissue and follow-up after the procedure and of children born eventually after this procedure

Exclusion Criteria

* Risk for presence of malignant cells in the testicular tissue
* Contra-indication for surgery
* Contra-indication for pregnancy in the female partner
* BMI \> 32
* Heavy smoking (≥10 cigarettes/day)
* Instable psychological condition
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

50 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Veerle Vloeberghs, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

CRG UZ Brussel

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

UZ Brussel Centre for Reproductive Medicine

Brussels, , Belgium

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Belgium

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Veerle Vloeberghs, MD

Role: CONTACT

003224776699

Herman Tournaye, MD PhD

Role: CONTACT

003224776699

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

2019-477

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.