Advances in Research on Spermatozoa and Male Infertility: From Molecular Mechanism to Therapeutic Perspectives

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Translational Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1752

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ricercatrice a Tempo Determinato in Tenure Track (RTT), UniCamillus—International Medical University in Rome, Via di Sant'Alessandro, 8, 00131 Rome, Italy
Interests: fertility; in vitro 3D models; fertilization process; window of implantation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Male infertility represents a significant and growing challenge worldwide, with sperm dysfunction representing one of the leading causes. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of spermatozoa function and pathology is crucial to developing innovative diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies addressing for male infertility. This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge advances in molecular and translational research on spermatozoa and male infertility, bridging the gap between fundamental science and clinical applications. We welcome original research and review articles addressing (but not limited to) the following topics:

  • Molecular mechanisms underlying sperm function and dysfunction;
  • Genetic, epigenetic, and proteomic profiling in male infertility;
  • Advances in sperm analysis and diagnostic biomarkers;
  • Novel in vitro and 3D models for studying fertilization;
  • Translational research on assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs);
  • Emerging therapeutic strategies for addressing male infertility.

Dr. Francesca Paola Luongo
Dr. Alice Luddi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spermatozoa biology
  • molecular mechanisms of spermatogenesis
  • oxidative stress and sperm function
  • therapeutic strategies for addressing male infertility

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

19 pages, 984 KB  
Review
Inflammation-Driven Remodeling of the Blood–Testis Barrier: Roles of Junctional Complexes, Actin Dynamics, and Kinase Signaling
by Zoltán Virág, András Nagy, Viktória Kiss, Denise Börzsei, Csaba Varga and Renáta Szabó
Biomedicines 2026, 14(2), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14020423 - 13 Feb 2026
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1393
Abstract
The blood–testis barrier (BTB) is a highly specialized and dynamic junctional structure formed by adjacent Sertoli cells that is essential for maintaining testicular immune privilege and supporting spermatogenesis. While the BTB undergoes tightly regulated, stage-dependent remodeling under physiological conditions, inflammatory stimuli can profoundly [...] Read more.
The blood–testis barrier (BTB) is a highly specialized and dynamic junctional structure formed by adjacent Sertoli cells that is essential for maintaining testicular immune privilege and supporting spermatogenesis. While the BTB undergoes tightly regulated, stage-dependent remodeling under physiological conditions, inflammatory stimuli can profoundly disturb this process. Accumulating evidence indicates that inflammatory conditions disrupt BTB integrity by altering junctional protein organization, cytoskeletal dynamics, and barrier permeability. We aimed to integrate current evidence to elucidate the key pathways by which inflammation impairs BTB integrity, drawing on studies using intratesticular administration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and experimental rodent models of reproductive dysfunction characterized by pathological inflammation, including chemotherapy-induced inflammation and orchitis. Collectively, findings from these models demonstrate that inflammatory signaling compromises BTB integrity, destabilizes the spermatogenic niche, and may contribute to impaired spermatogenesis. Our narrative review frames the BTB as a dynamic and inflammation-sensitive structure whose regulation emerges from the coordinated action of inflammatory pathways, cytoskeletal remodeling, and junction-associated signaling modules, rather than from isolated molecular events. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop