[Objective]To investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in semen after COVID-19 infection in vaccinated individuals and to evaluate the impact of different recovery stages on sperm quality.[Methods]From January to March 2023,vaccinated male patients with recent SARS-CoV-2 infections confirmed by throat swabs were recruited from the Reproductive Medicine Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.Semen samples were analyzed with RT-qPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA.A retrospective analysis assessed sperm quality across recovery stages,comparing patients within 30 days of recovery to those with 30 days or more.Semen parameters evaluated included volume,total sperm count,forward motility percentage,abnormal morphology rate,and sperm DNA fragmentation index.In addition,a longitudinal self-comparison was performed to examine changes in semen quality before and after recovery(＜30 days and≥30 days).[Results]SARS-CoV-2 RNA was undetectable in the semen of all 205 patients.Neither cross-sectional comparisons nor longitudinal analyses showed significant differences in semen volume,sperm concentration,total sperm count,sperm morphology rate,sperm DNA fragmentation index,or high DNA stainability between recovery stages or compared to pre-infection values(P＞0.05).However,forward motility percentage markedly decreased during recovery,with statistical significant between groups(P＜0.05).[Conclusions]In vaccinated individuals who contracted COVID-19,SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted through semen.Although the incidence of asthenozoospermia may increase within 30 days post-infection,this effect appears reversible in the short time.

Objective:To investigate the protective effects of resveratrol (RSV) on human sperm cryopreservation and explore its underlying protective mechanisms.Methods:A total of 165 normal fresh semen samples were collected from the Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Human Sperm Bank of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between December 2022 and December 2024. Among them, 65 samples were used to obtain semen parameters before and after conventional freezing. Each sample of the other 104 samples was mixed at a 2∶1 volume ratio with cryoprotectant containing 0, 10 -?, 10 -?, or 10 -? mol/L RSV, followed by cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen for 24 h. Post-thaw assessments included routine sperm parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) evaluated by sperm chromatin dispersion assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels measured via flow cytometry, RSV and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) interactions examined by molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), NRF2 protein contents analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting, mRNA levels of NRF2 and downstream antioxidant proteins Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) quantified by qRT-PCR and effects of NRF2 inhibitor ML385 on sperm parameters. Results:Compared with fresh samples, conventional cryopreservation significantly reduced sperm motility (all P<0.001). The addition of 10 -? mol/L RSV significantly improved the percentage of forward motile sperm after freezing (26.98%±8.98% vs. 19.61%±8.03%, P<0.001) while reducing DFI (9.84%±3.81% vs. 15.06%±4.22%, P<0.001) and ROS levels ( P<0.001) compared with the post-freezing group without the addition of RSV. Both molecular docking analysis and CETSA confirmed that RSV interacted with NRF2. Notably, sperm cryopreserved with 10 -? mol/L RSV exhibited significantly higher contents of NRF2 and its downstream effectors HO-1 and NQO1 compared with the post-freezing group without the addition of RSV (all P<0.001). This protective effect was markedly attenuated by co-treatment with the NRF2 inhibitor ML385, as evidenced by a significant decline in sperm motility ( P<0.001). Conclusion:RSV exerts cryoprotective effects likely through NRF2-mediated antioxidant pathways, reducing oxidative stress and enhancing post-thaw sperm quality.

Objective:To investigate the protective effects of resveratrol (RSV) on human sperm cryopreservation and explore its underlying protective mechanisms.Methods:A total of 165 normal fresh semen samples were collected from the Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Human Sperm Bank of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between December 2022 and December 2024. Among them, 65 samples were used to obtain semen parameters before and after conventional freezing. Each sample of the other 104 samples was mixed at a 2∶1 volume ratio with cryoprotectant containing 0, 10 -?, 10 -?, or 10 -? mol/L RSV, followed by cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen for 24 h. Post-thaw assessments included routine sperm parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) evaluated by sperm chromatin dispersion assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels measured via flow cytometry, RSV and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) interactions examined by molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), NRF2 protein contents analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting, mRNA levels of NRF2 and downstream antioxidant proteins Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) quantified by qRT-PCR and effects of NRF2 inhibitor ML385 on sperm parameters. Results:Compared with fresh samples, conventional cryopreservation significantly reduced sperm motility (all P<0.001). The addition of 10 -? mol/L RSV significantly improved the percentage of forward motile sperm after freezing (26.98%±8.98% vs. 19.61%±8.03%, P<0.001) while reducing DFI (9.84%±3.81% vs. 15.06%±4.22%, P<0.001) and ROS levels ( P<0.001) compared with the post-freezing group without the addition of RSV. Both molecular docking analysis and CETSA confirmed that RSV interacted with NRF2. Notably, sperm cryopreserved with 10 -? mol/L RSV exhibited significantly higher contents of NRF2 and its downstream effectors HO-1 and NQO1 compared with the post-freezing group without the addition of RSV (all P<0.001). This protective effect was markedly attenuated by co-treatment with the NRF2 inhibitor ML385, as evidenced by a significant decline in sperm motility ( P<0.001). Conclusion:RSV exerts cryoprotective effects likely through NRF2-mediated antioxidant pathways, reducing oxidative stress and enhancing post-thaw sperm quality.

[Objective]To investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in semen after COVID-19 infection in vaccinated individuals and to evaluate the impact of different recovery stages on sperm quality.[Methods]From January to March 2023,vaccinated male patients with recent SARS-CoV-2 infections confirmed by throat swabs were recruited from the Reproductive Medicine Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.Semen samples were analyzed with RT-qPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA.A retrospective analysis assessed sperm quality across recovery stages,comparing patients within 30 days of recovery to those with 30 days or more.Semen parameters evaluated included volume,total sperm count,forward motility percentage,abnormal morphology rate,and sperm DNA fragmentation index.In addition,a longitudinal self-comparison was performed to examine changes in semen quality before and after recovery(＜30 days and≥30 days).[Results]SARS-CoV-2 RNA was undetectable in the semen of all 205 patients.Neither cross-sectional comparisons nor longitudinal analyses showed significant differences in semen volume,sperm concentration,total sperm count,sperm morphology rate,sperm DNA fragmentation index,or high DNA stainability between recovery stages or compared to pre-infection values(P＞0.05).However,forward motility percentage markedly decreased during recovery,with statistical significant between groups(P＜0.05).[Conclusions]In vaccinated individuals who contracted COVID-19,SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted through semen.Although the incidence of asthenozoospermia may increase within 30 days post-infection,this effect appears reversible in the short time.

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) caused by CFAP43 or CFAP44 gene mutations following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Methods:Clinical data and genetic information were retrospectively analyzed for 121 MMAF patients who attended Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University during September 2014 to July 2020. Totally 9 MMAF patients were identified to carry CFAP43 or CFAP44 mutations, 5 of them (P3, P5, P7, P8, and P9) received ICSI treatments, the ICSI outcomes were further analyzed. Results:Sanger sequencing validated 9 MMAF patients harboring CFAP43 or CFAP44 biallelic mutations, our study firstly identified a novel homozygous mutation of CFAP43(c.4132delC: p.Arg1378Glufs*10), novel compound heterozygous mutations of CFAP43 (c.3938G>A: p.Arg1313Gln;c.4342G>A:p.Glu1448Lys) and novel compound heterozygous mutations of CFAP44 (c.1718C>A:p.Pro573His; c.4075G>A: p.Glu1359Lys). The 5 MMAF patients underwent 5 ICSI cycles, 4 healthy offspring were obtained. The rate of fertilization of CFAP43- or CFAP44-mutated MMAF patients following ICSI was 76.47% (39/51), 3 patients' wife got clinical pregnancy, 3 patients got live birth delivery, respectively. No significant differences were found in ICSI outcomes among CFAP43-mutated or CFAP44-mutated MMAF patients, DNAH1-mutated MMAF patients, and severe oligoasthenozoospermia group (all P>0.05) .Conclusion:CFAP43 or CFAP44 mutations are responsible for the malformation of sperm flagella and decrease of sperm motility, and validated as the important genetic causes of MMAF. CFAP43- or CFAP44-mutated MMAF patients could have a favorable treatment outcome following ICSI.

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) caused by CFAP43 or CFAP44 gene mutations following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Methods:Clinical data and genetic information were retrospectively analyzed for 121 MMAF patients who attended Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University during September 2014 to July 2020. Totally 9 MMAF patients were identified to carry CFAP43 or CFAP44 mutations, 5 of them (P3, P5, P7, P8, and P9) received ICSI treatments, the ICSI outcomes were further analyzed. Results:Sanger sequencing validated 9 MMAF patients harboring CFAP43 or CFAP44 biallelic mutations, our study firstly identified a novel homozygous mutation of CFAP43(c.4132delC: p.Arg1378Glufs*10), novel compound heterozygous mutations of CFAP43 (c.3938G>A: p.Arg1313Gln;c.4342G>A:p.Glu1448Lys) and novel compound heterozygous mutations of CFAP44 (c.1718C>A:p.Pro573His; c.4075G>A: p.Glu1359Lys). The 5 MMAF patients underwent 5 ICSI cycles, 4 healthy offspring were obtained. The rate of fertilization of CFAP43- or CFAP44-mutated MMAF patients following ICSI was 76.47% (39/51), 3 patients' wife got clinical pregnancy, 3 patients got live birth delivery, respectively. No significant differences were found in ICSI outcomes among CFAP43-mutated or CFAP44-mutated MMAF patients, DNAH1-mutated MMAF patients, and severe oligoasthenozoospermia group (all P>0.05) .Conclusion:CFAP43 or CFAP44 mutations are responsible for the malformation of sperm flagella and decrease of sperm motility, and validated as the important genetic causes of MMAF. CFAP43- or CFAP44-mutated MMAF patients could have a favorable treatment outcome following ICSI.

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy is an emerging immunotherapy that has allowed for major breakthroughs in the treatment of hematological neoplasms. However, little progress has been made in the treatment of solid tumors, primarily due to the difficulty in homing to tumor tissues by CAR-T cells during treatment. The complex tumor microenvironment and the barrier function of tumor tissues prevent CAR-T cells from contacting tumor cells, thereby preventing them from exerting their antitumor ac-tivity. This review article summarizes not only the progress made in the study of homing disorders of CAR-T cells in the treatment of solid tumors but also the current methods to overcome these disorders.