IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,351,821
Granted Patent B2
US 12,351,821 · App. 17/651,505 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Method to prepare sperm

Inventors: Pablo E. Visconti (Amherst, MA); Felipe Navarrete (Boston, MA)
Assignee: University of Massachusetts
C12N5/0604A01N1/12A61B17/43A61B17/435A61D19/02A61D19/04A61K48/00C12N5/061C12N15/00C12N2501/998C12N2501/999C12N2517/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,351,821
App. No.
17/651,505
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods for improving the functionality and/or fertility of sperm, for example, by enhancing motility and/or extending the lifespan of sperm by subjecting the isolated sperm to a starvation protocol and/or ionophore are provided. Such methods may be used in, for example, artificial insemination to reduce the number of sperm needed for insemination and to improve conception rates.

Claims (21)

1. A method to increase fertility comprising

a) isolating biological fluid comprising sperm;

b) removing energy nutrients from said biological fluid in a);

c) placing said sperm of a) and/or b) in a media absent energy nutrients for a period of time;

d) adding an energy nutrient to said media and/or sperm of c); and

e) contacting or injecting said sperm from d) with an ovum of the same species as the sperm, so as to increase fertility as compared to a method where sperm cells have not undergone energy nutrient starvation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy nutrient added to said media in d) is any energy substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the energy substrate is a glycolytic substrate, Krebs cycle substrate or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the energy substrate is glucose, fructose, pyruvate, lactate, citrate or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sperm is from a vertebrate.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sperm is mammalian sperm.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the mammalian sperm is human, murine, bovine, porcine, ovine, camelid, equine or poultry sperm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sperm cells are exposed to an ionophore.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ionophore is a calcium ionophore.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ionophore is A23187.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time period in c) is from about 1 minute to several hours.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time period in c) is about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 25 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 35 minutes, about 40 minutes, about 45 minutes, about 50 minutes, about 1 hour, about 1.5 hours, about 2 hours, about 3 hours, about 4 hours, about 5 hours or about 5-24 hours.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein in c) glycolytic and Krebs cycle metabolites are not present.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein in c) glucose, pyruvate and lactate are not present.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein in c) glucose and pyruvate are absent in said media.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein for a period of time in c) is sufficient for the sperm to lose progressive motility.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2022
From: VISCONTI, PABLO E.; NAVARRETE, FELIPE
To: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUETTS
Reel/Frame 059038/0315 →
Continuity (3)
Division 16089862
Provisional Application 62316990 · Apr 1, 2016
Related Publication 20220220438A1 · Jul 14, 2022
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