A novel technique to measure the age of male sperm has the potential to predict the success and time it takes to become pregnant, according to a newly published study by researchers at the Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine in Detroit. An article published in the journal Human Reproduction found that sperm epigenetic aging clocks may act as a novel biomarker to predict couples’ time to pregnancy. The findings also underscore the importance of the male partner in reproductive success. “Chronological age is a significant determinant of reproductive capacity and success among couples attempting pregnancy, but chronological age does not encapsulate the cumulative genetic and external (environmental) conditions, and thus it serves as a proxy measure of the ‘true’ biological age of cells,” said J. Richard Pilsner, PhD, lead author of the study. Dr. Pilsner is the Robert J. Sokol, MD, endowed chair of molecular obstetrics and gynecology and director of molecular genetics and infertility at WSU’s C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development.
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