A Novel Tissue Engineering-based Assay for Immunological Infertility

Authors: Ahangari, G.; Naderimanesh, H.; Hossein-Nezhad, A.; Zouali, M.

Source: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, Volume 68, Number 4, October 2008 , pp. 463-468(6)

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Abstract:

Antisperm antibodies (ASA) are present in 9-36% of infertile couples, a condition called immunological infertility. The variability of ASA in terms of antigenic specificity and biological effects has made it difficult to design a test able to distinguish reliably between ASA that contribute to infertility and those that do not. To develop a reliable and reproducible method able to detect sperm antibodies, we took advantage of recent progress made in tissue engineering techniques. We used collagen gel as a bio-scaffold for the production of engineered sperm analogues. The advantages of using collagen gels include biocompatibility, ease of fabrication and low cost. We found that this tissue engineering-based assay is more specific and more sensitive than a conventional test routinely used for ASA detection. In addition, it exhibited low intra- and inter-variations. We envision the use of this novel approach for the detection of a variety of autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases. In addition to diagnostic purposes, tissue-engineering based tests could be useful in monitoring treatments with bio-drugs.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3083.2008.02160.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Molecular Medicine and Immunology, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran

Publication date: 2008-10-01