Extra Cellular Matrix-Based and Extra Cellular Matrix-Free Generation of Murine Testicular Organoids.

Testicular organoids provide a tool for studying testicular development, spermatogenesis, and endocrinology in vitro. Several methods have been developed in order to create testicular organoids. Many of these methods rely upon extracellular matrix (ECM) to promote de novo tissue assembly, however, there are differences between methods in terms of biomimetic morphology and function of tissues.

Testicular organoid formation is a property of immature somatic cells, which self-assemble and exhibit long-term hormone-responsive endocrine function.

Testicular organoid models are tools to study testicular physiology, development, and spermatogenesis in vitro. However, few side-by-side comparisons of organoid generation method have been evaluated. Here, we directly tested whether the culture microenvironment is the prime determinant promoting testicular organoid self-assembly.

Author Correction: Engineered reproductive tissues.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Survey of Fertility Preservation Options Available to Patients With Cancer Around the Globe.

Purpose: Oncofertility focuses on providing fertility and endocrine-sparing options to patients who undergo life-preserving but gonadotoxic cancer treatment. The resources needed to meet patient demand often are fragmented along disciplinary lines. We quantify assets and gaps in oncofertility care on a global scale.

Survey of Third-Party Parenting Options Associated With Fertility Preservation Available to Patients With Cancer Around the Globe.

Purpose: In the accompanying article, "Survey of Fertility Preservation Options Available to Patients With Cancer Around the Globe," we showed that specific fertility preservation services may not be offered at various sites around the world because of cultural and legal barriers. We assessed global and regional experiences as well as the legal status of third-party reproduction and adoption to serve as a comprehensive international data set and resource for groups that wish to begin oncofertility interventions.

Methods: We provide data on the legalities of third-party assisted reproductive technologies and other family-building options in the 28 oncofertility-practicing countries surveyed.

Engineered reproductive tissues.

Engineered male and female biomimetic reproductive tissues are being developed as autonomous in vitro units or as integrated multi-organ in vitro systems to support germ cell and embryo function, and to display characteristic endocrine phenotypic patterns, such as the 28-day human ovulatory cycle. In this Review, we summarize how engineered reproductive tissues facilitate research in reproductive biology, and overview strategies for making engineered reproductive tissues that might eventually allow the restoration of reproductive capacity in patients.

Zinc exocytosis is sensitive to myosin light chain kinase inhibition in mouse and human eggs.

Zinc dynamics are essential for oocyte meiotic maturation, egg activation, and preimplantation embryo development. During fertilisation and egg activation, the egg releases billions of zinc atoms (Zn2+) in an exocytotic event termed the 'zinc spark'. We hypothesised that this zinc transport and exocytosis is dependent upon the intracellular trafficking of cortical granules (CG) which requires myosin-actin-dependent motors.

Inhibitors of apoptosis protect the ovarian reserve from cyclophosphamide.

Cancer therapy can cause off-target effects including ovarian damage, which may result in primary ovarian insufficiency in girls and premenopausal women. Loss of ovarian follicles within the ovarian reserve leads to ovarian endocrine dysfunction and impaired fertility. Cyclophosphamide (CPA), a commonly used chemotherapeutic and immunosuppressant agent, is a gonadotoxic agent that destroys ovarian cells by crosslinking DNA.

Maple polyphenols, ginnalins A-C, induce S- and G2/M-cell cycle arrest in colon and breast cancer cells mediated by decreasing cyclins A and D1 levels.

Polyphenols are bioactive compounds found in plant foods. Ginnalins A-C are polyphenols present in the sap and other parts of the sugar and red maple species which are used to produce maple syrup. Here we evaluated the antiproliferative effects of ginnalins A-C on colon (HCT-116) and breast (MCF-7) tumourigenic and non-tumourigenic colon (CCD-18Co) cells and investigated whether these effects were mediated through cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis.

New galloyl derivative from winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) fruit.

Twelve compounds were isolated from Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) fruit and their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and mass spectral data. The isolates included a new galloyl derivative, (R)-galloyl malic acid dimethyl ester (1), and eleven known compounds, gallic acid (2), methyl gallate (3), glucogallin (4), methyl m-digallate (5), methyl p-digallate (6), quercetin (7), myricetin (8), rhamnazin (9), kaempferol (10), betulinic acid (11), and oleanolic acid (12). All of the compounds were evaluated for antiproliferative effects against human colon tumorigenic (HCT-116, Caco-2) and nontumorigenic (CCD18-Co) cell lines.