What are the applications of stem cell therapy for infertility? A literature review: What has been achieved so far in the field of reproductive medicine?

Nawar Al-khafaji

doi:10.28982/josam.8321

Authors

Nawar Al-khafaji University of South Wales, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, Cardiff, UK https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4583-733X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28982/josam.8321

Keywords:

Uses of stem cell in infertility, application of stem cell therapy in infertility or in reproductive medicine, subfertility, male/female infertility, types of stem cells, advantage and disadvantage of stem cell, clinical applications of stem cells in infertility, stem cell endometriosis, stem cell non obstructive azoospermia, stem cell thin endometrium.

Abstract

Background/Aim: Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, offers great promise in treating a variety of diseases that do not respond to conventional treatments. This systematic literature review aims to critically examine the latest scientific findings on the applications of stem cells in reproductive medicine. It also explores the various types of stem cells discovered to date, highlighting their advantages, disadvantages, and associated ethical considerations.

Methods: Multiple databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, grey literature, and the Cochrane Library, were searched for topic-relevant studies within the past 15 years. The search was restricted to the English language. However, literature from all countries was considered, provided it met the inclusion criteria.

Results: The progress of using stem cells in reproductive medicine varied from pre-clinical experiments to clinical stages in varying aspects of male and female infertility-related diseases.

Conclusion: This review highlights the remarkable advancements in the field of reproductive regenerative medicine. Large-scale randomized clinical trials are urgently needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of stem cell therapies, particularly mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have shown encouraging clinical outcomes. Additionally, MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) present a promising cell-free therapeutic strategy for infertility, warranting further research to fully explore their potential applications.

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