In vitro approaches to study and treat human nonobstructive azoospermia

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a severe form of male infertility that impacts 1% of men in the global population and is characterized by a complete lack of sperm in the ejaculate. A genetic cause is implicated in most of those cases and treatment options are limited. The main aim of the present study is to discover the genetic causes of NOA establish patient—derived stem cell lines to test the feasibility and safety of new gene correction technologies and produce transplantable stem cells or sperm in a dish. NAO patients will be recruited in Israel and the USA and results may lay the foundation to develop diagnostic screens or future therapies for infertility.