Advances in Spermatogenesis and Male Infertility

Dear Colleagues,

Sperm provides the zygote with genetic material from the father and is essential for reproduction. Throughout biological evolution, spermatogenesis has been a precise and conserved process which occurs in the male testis but is regulated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. The blood–testis barrier, as the histological barrier of the testis, prevents the stimulation of spermatogenesis and ensures the process runs smoothly. A variety of signaling molecules are involved in various stages of and at different points in spermatogenesis, and studying its related functions may provide us with a new therapeutic direction for male reproductive diseases. However, at present, more and more environmental factors impair this process, impeding spermatogenesis and as a result decreasing male fertility rates.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to summarize and expand on the molecular mechanisms that ensure successful spermatogenesis and to explore the key processes in male reproduction, providing an effective platform on which new insights into male reproductive diseases to be described.

We welcome submissions of original research articles and comprehensive reviews.

The specific topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The role of hormone regulation in spermatogenesis;
• How somatic cells maintain spermatogenesis in the testis;
• The maintenance mechanism ensuring the integrity of the blood–testis barrier and its role in spermatogenesis;
• The multiple signaling pathways that synergistically regulate spermatogenesis;
• New discoveries of molecules involved in spermatogenesis and fertility;
• How cell fate is involved in spermatogenesis (e.g. cell self-renewal and repair, apoptosis, proliferation, autophagy, etc.);
• Molecular mechanisms that disrupt spermatogenesis via environmental toxicology and stimulation.

Prof. Dr. Wanxi Yang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• male reproduction
• hormone regulation
• blood–testis barrier
• male reproductive diseases
• male infertility