New Insights into the Quality of Sperm Cells

Dear Colleagues,

When insemination occurs, millions of spermatozoa enter the female reproductive tract with a single aim – to find and reach a single cell - the oocyte. Spermatozoa subsequently undertake an adventurous journey leading to their encounter with the oocyte, thereby initiating a series of cellular interactions that culminate in fertilization. Understanding the cellular, sub-cellular and molecular mechanisms that underpin the structural integrity of sperm and their functional activity prior to fertilization is crucial. This should allow the development of diagnostic strategies to help elucidate the etiologies of male sub- or infertility, as well as the identification of novel targets for fertility regulation. In this special issue, we will discuss recent advances on the physiology of spermatozoa, molecular pathways regulating sperm behavior, risk factors affecting sperm functionality, and the contribution of spermatozoa to fertility outcomes. In addition, we will review different pharmacological agents and biomolecules that may improve sperm quality under in vitro and in vivo conditions in order to improve the outcomes from assisted reproductive technology (ART). We hope this special issue will help clinicians, andrologists, toxicologists, and embryologists to understand the factors that influence sperm quality in health and disease, as well as the development of various management strategies to improve treatment outcomes.

Dr. Eva Tvrda
Guest Editor

Manuscripts should be submitted via our online editorial system at https://imr.propub.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to start your submission. Manuscripts can be submitted now or up until the deadline. All papers will go through peer-review process. Accepted papers will be published in the journal (as soon as accepted) and meanwhile listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, reviews as well as short communications are preferred. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office to announce on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts will be thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. Please visit the Instruction for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) in this open access journal is 2500 USD. Submitted manuscripts should be well formatted in good English.