Research is integral to all we do at the UPMC Magee Center for Reproduction and Transplantation (CRT).
It ensures that we are:
Our current areas of research include:
The Fertility Preservation Program of the CRT is recruiting patients for the following research studies:
This Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved research protocol is open to males of any age who have:
This study is for:
In this study, we collect testicular tissues during surgery and allocate as follows:
The research study will cover the costs of:
This IRB-approved research study is open to females who:
This study is for:
In this study, we collect ovarian tissue during surgery and allocate as follows:
This research study will cover the costs of:
This IRB-approved research study is open to transgender females over 9 who:
This study of techniques is for young people who:
In this study, we collect testicular tissue during surgery and allocate as follows:
The research study will cover the costs of:
This IRB-approved research study is open to transgender males over age 9 who:
This study is for young people:
In this study, we collect ovarian tissue during surgery and allocate as follows:
This study will cover the costs of:
This IRB-approved research study is open to women who:
This study will investigate whether transplanted ovarian tissues can restore ovarian hormones, menstruation, and production of eggs to use for reproduction.
The research study will cover the costs of surgery to transplant the ovarian tissue.
This IRB-approved research study is open to males who:
This study will investigate whether transplanted spermatogonial stem cells or testicular tissues can produce sperm that can be used for reproduction.
The research study will cover the costs of surgery and transplantation.
This IRB-approved research study is open to males who:
In this study, we flush the rete testis with liquid and examine the aspirate for sperm. The study will determine whether it's possible to retrieve sperm using this nonsurgical approach. In some cases, the study will compare the efficiency of this experimental method with standard options to retrieve sperm, such as testicular sperm extraction (TESE).
The research study will cover the cost of rete testis aspiration and the first year of frozen storage if sperm are recovered using the experimental method. The program will not cover costs of other standard sperm retrieval methods that may be conducted during the study visit.
This IRB-approved research study is open to males who are:
In this study, we collect semen samples before and shortly after starting chemo and allocate as follows:
The research study will cover the costs of:
This IRB-approved research study is open to males who:
In this study, we collect blood or saliva and conduct genomic sequencing to search for genetic causes of infertility.
The research study will cover the costs of:
If you'd like to join one of our research studies, contact the Fertility Preservation Program at 412-641-7475 or email us at fertilitypreservation@UPMC.edu.
Sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation: Predictors, fertility outcomes, and assays among infertile males. F&S Reports 2021;2:282-288. Rios JS, Coward RM, Hansen KR, Barnhart KT, Cedars MI, Legro RS, Diamond MP, Krawetz SA, Usadi R, Baker VL, Sun F, Wild R, Smith JF, Santoro N, Zhang H, Steiner AZ.
Inclusion and diversity in oncofertility care. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology 2021;10:120-126. Appiah L, Anazodo A, Salama M, Reinecke J, Rios JS, Sender L, Woodard TL.
Recent advances: Fertility preservation and fertility restoration options for males and females. Fac Rev 2021;10:55. Doungkamchan C, Orwig KE.
Testosterone therapy: Where do the latest guidelines agree and differ? Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2020;27:397-403. Pelzman DL, Hwang K.
Progress in translational reproductive science: Testicular tissue transplantation and in vitro spermatogenesis. Fertility and Sterility 2020;113:500-509. Pelzman DL, Orwig KE, Hwang K.
Personalized medicine for the infertile male. The Urologic Clinics of North America 2020;47:523-536. Velez D, Hwang K.
Fertility preservation in boys: Recent developments and new insights (†). Human Reproduction Open 2020;2020:hoaa016. Goossens E, Jahnukainen K, Mitchell RT, van Pelt A, Pennings G, Rives N, Poels J, Wyns C, Lane S, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Rives A, Valli-Pulaski H, Steimer S, Kliesch S, Braye A, Andres MM, Medrano J, Ramos L, Kristensen SG, Andersen CY, Bjarnason R, Orwig KE, Neuhaus N, Stukenborg JB.
Single-cell rna sequencing of human, macaque, and mouse testes uncovers conser ved and divergent features of mammalian spermatogenesis. Developmental Cell 2020;54:529-547.e512. Shami AN, Zheng X, Munyoki SK, Ma Q, Manske GL, Green CD, Sukhwani M, Orwig KE, Li JZ, Hammoud SS.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation as standard of care: What does this mean for pediatric populations? Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 2020;37:1323-1326. Nahata L, Woodruff TK, Quinn GP, Meacham LR, Chen D, Appiah LC, Finlayson C, Orwig KE, Laronda MM, Rowell EE, Anazodo A, Frias O, Rios JS, Whiteside S, Gomez-Lobo V, Dwiggins M, Childress KJ, Hoefgen HR, Levine JM, Jayasinghe Y, Moravek M.
Spermatogonial stem cell culture in oncofertility. The Urologic Clinics of North America 2020;47:227-244. David S, Orwig KE.
Spermatozoal large RNA content associated with semen characteristics, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. PLOS One 2019;14:e0216584. Bianchi E, Boekelheide K, Sigman M, Braun JM, Eliot M, Hall SJ, Dere E, Hwang K.
Autologous grafting of cryopreserved prepubertal rhesus testis produces sperm and offspring. Science 2019;363:1314-1319. Fayomi AP, Peters K, Sukhwani M, Valli-Pulaski H, Shetty G, Meistrich ML, Houser L, Robertson N, Roberts V, Ramsey C, Hanna C, Hennebold JD, Dobrinski I, Orwig KE.
Testicular tissue cryopreservation: 8 years of experience from a coordinated network of academic centers. Human Reproduction (Oxford, England) 2019;34:966-977. Valli-Pulaski H, Peters KA, Gassei K, Steimer SR, Sukhwani M, Hermann BP, Dwomor L, David S, Fayomi AP, Munyoki SK, Chu T, Chaudhry R, Cannon GM, Fox PJ, Jaffe TM, Sanfilippo JS, Menke MN, Lunenfeld E, Abofoul-Azab M, Sender LS, Messina J, Klimpel LM, Gosiengfiao Y, Rowell EE, Hsieh MH, Granberg CF, Reddy PP, Sandlow JI, Huleihel M, Orwig KE.
Fertility preservation outcomes in adolescent and young adult feminizing transgender patients. Pediatrics 2019;144:e20183943. Barnard EP, Dhar CP, Rothenberg SS, Menke MN, Witchel SF, Montano GT, Orwig KE, Valli-Pulaski H.
Is in vitro organotypic culture the key to spermatogenesis of human immature testicular tissue? Fertility and Sterility 2018;110:1030-1031. Avellino GJ, Hwang K.
Fertility preservation for pediatric patients: Current state and future possibilities. The Journal of Urology 2017;198:186-194. Johnson EK, Finlayson C, Rowell EE, Gosiengfiao Y, Pavone ME, Lockart B, Orwig KE, Brannigan RE, Woodruff TK.
You or your doctor can request an appointment with the CRT to discuss your particular needs and goals by:
If you want to take part in a research study, contact the UPMC Fertility Preservation Program by:
Higher education and research colleagues who want to learn more about the translational and clinical research we conduct can email us at CRT@UPMC.edu.
UPMC Magee Center for Reproduction and Transplantation
300 Halket St., Suite 5150
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-641-7475