Frozen testicular tissue could help male cancer survivors become fertile again

MEN who have lost their fertility due to cancer could regain it after testicular tissue is frozen.

Research suggests it could be thawed and implanted to start sperm production again — even 20 years later.

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The study gives hope to boys who are unable to have children after radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

The University of Pennsylvania team found that thawed testicular tissue worked best when the freezing time was shorter, but could still be used many years later.

dr Eoin Whelan said: “This could be a method of restoring fertility loss in prepubertal boys treated for cancer.

“Our study has shown that rat stem cells can be successfully frozen over 20 years, transplanted into an infertile animal, and the ability to produce sperm can be regenerated, albeit at a reduced rate.”

In the UK, around 990 boys under the age of 15 are diagnosed with cancer each year and survival is improving, but treatment can ruin their fertility.

Men with cancer can collect sperm so they can have a baby through IVF, but they may not be able to produce more.