Deliverable transgenics & gene therapy possibilities for the testes

• Published in: Molecular and cellular endocrinology Vol. 468; pp. 81 - 94
• Main Authors: Darbey, Annalucia, Smith, Lee B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 15.06.2018
• Subjects: Gene therapy; Male infertility; Testis; Viral vectors; Testis; Viral vectors; Gene therapy; Male infertility
• ISSN: 0303-7207; 1872-8057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.11.023

Male infertility and hypogonadism are clinically prevalent conditions with a high socioeconomic burden and are both linked to an increased risk in cardiovascular-metabolic diseases and earlier mortality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to better understand the causes and develop new treatments for these conditions that affect millions of men. The accelerating advancement in gene editing and delivery technologies promises improvements in both diagnosis as well as affording the opportunity to develop bespoke treatment options which would both prove beneficial for the millions of individuals afflicted with these reproductive disorders. In this review, we summarise the systems developed and utilised for the delivery of gene therapy and discuss how each of these systems could be applied for the development of a gene therapy system in the testis and how they could be of use for the future diagnosis and repair of common male reproductive disorders. •Male infertility and hypogonadism are clinically prevalent conditions.•Gene editing and delivery technologies promise improvements in diagnosis and treatment.•We summarise the systems developed and utilised for the delivery of gene therapy.•We discuss the development of a gene therapy system for male reproductive disorders.