Identification of testis-specific markers of male infertility

不孕症影响着每20名男性中的1名，并带来重大的健康和经济负担。患者管理很困难，因为没有监测睾丸功能的测试。虽然通常使用精子数量，但精液中没有精子并不能说明精子是否存在于睾丸中，是否适合体外受精，或者精子的产生是否可以通过激素来启动。我们的目标是在血液中识别新的睾丸功能标记物，然后用它们来帮助治疗不育男性。

Infertility affects 1 in 20 men, and carries major health and financial burdens. Patient management is difficult because there are no tests to monitor testicular function. While sperm number is normally used, their absence in the ejaculate provides no information whether sperm are present in the testis suitable for IVF, or if sperm production could be ‘kick-started’ with hormones. Our goal is to identify new markers of testis function in blood, and then use them to help treat infertile men.