- After ultrasound stimulation, 59% of previously immobile sperm began swimming
Slow sperm cells could swim faster when irradiated by ultrasound, a new study shows, potentially increasing mobility by as much as 266 percent.
The groundbreaking research from Monash University in Melbourne could be the key to improving IVF success rates as male fertility continues to decline around the world.
The study tested the theory by grouping fifty sperm samples according to the speed of their swimmers: fast, slow and not moving, or immobile.
The samples were then irradiated with 800 megawatt ultrasonic waves at a frequency of 40 megahertz.
After 20 seconds of ultrasound wave stimulation, 59 percent of previously immobile sperm began swimming at different speeds.
The groundbreaking research from Melbourne’s Monash University could be key to improving IVF success rates as male fertility continues to decline around the world (stock image)
Originally making up 36 percent of the samples tested, immotile sperm had dropped to just 10 percent by the end of the study.
Experts believe the miraculous burst of energy may have something to do with the sperm’s mitochondria – the tiny organelles inside that act as a kind of ‘battery pack’.
When ultrasound waves are applied, the mitochondria can get a kickstart.
During IVF, slow swimmers can make or break a successful artificial insemination.
When a sperm sample and egg are incubated in a dish during a conventional IVF procedure, the ‘best’ swimmer will be the first to reach and fertilize the egg.
However, when sperm are immobile or have an abnormality, a more expensive procedure is required in which a single sperm is selected and injected directly into the egg.
Although researchers have not yet used sperm exposed to ultrasound to fertilize an egg, they hope their breakthrough will one day contribute to the success of IVF procedures – and make them cheaper.
“Our results in motility improvement are promising for the application of this mechanotherapy method in assisted reproduction,” the researchers said in the journal Science Advances.
‘The motility of the sperm in a patient’s sample determines the choice of the most appropriate therapy and has a major influence on the success rate of the chosen treatment cycle.
‘Therefore, the ability to alter motility could potentially change the selection of therapy type and subsequent outcomes toward the adoption of less invasive, more affordable options.’