(MACS) SYSTEM IS AN EFFICIENT METHOD TO SELECT FUNCTIONAL SPERM AND IMPROVE PREGNANCY RATES.
Genetic integrity of the spermatozoon is essential for normal embryo development. A high level of DNA fragmentation in sperm cells can negatively affect embryo cleavage and subsequent development leading to blastocyst arrest or early miscarriage. DNA damage represented by fragmentation and subsequent sperm apoptosis may be a cause of male infertility that standard methods – sperm concentration, morphology assessment and motility analysis cannot detect.
A major causative factor for sperm DNA damage is oxidative stress generally increasing with the age and/or inflammatory infections, cigarette smoking, drug use, exposure to environmental pollutants and elevated testicular temperature.
Therefore, MACS Annexin V System was designed to selectively remove these defective although morphologically indistinguishable cells from sperm preparations. The procedure begins with magnetic labeling of unwanted cells and then, they are passed through a separation column where they are selectively retained. Intact living spermatozoa without DNA fragmentation pass through the column and are collected for later use (ICSI or cryopreservation).
Gain of the sperm ready for fertilization represents the key advantage over traditional DNA fragmentation tests in which patient obtain only impractical information on percentage of damaged cells. Similarly, methods for morphological assessing, like IMSI, cannot provide sufficient picture about the state of the DNA in the sperm nucleus.
