Bio-electrosprayed human sperm remain viable

Abstract: In our previous investigations, we demonstrated that certain living cells exposed to bio-electrosprays remained viable, and behaved as expected in comparison to control cells. These studies also extended to post-bio-electrosprayed cells being transplanted into mice, which demonstrated no rejection, and in fact they were seen to integrate with the surrounding host tissues. Therefore, highlighting bio-electrosprays as a front running bioplatform for engineering functional tissues for repair, replacement and rejuvenation of damaged and/ageing tissues. In the present studies, we take bio-electrosprays further into human health, investigating the possibility of this platform biotechnology to directly handle the smallest and most highly specialized cell in the human body, the spermatozoon. These studies demonstrated the ability for bio-electrosprays to directly handle human sperm without compromising their viability, while also demonstrating the technology’s capacity to encapsulate human sperm. These investigations reported herein present interesting implications to human reproductive science and medicine, while also having promising applicability to areas such as the agriculture and aquaculture industries.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2019.10.004