Associate Professor Alex Polyakov, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and Medical Director at Genea Fertility Melbourne, provided expert commentary on groundbreaking research from Monash University showing that ultrasound can increase sperm motility by up to 266 per cent.
The Monash study, published in Science Advances, found that exposing sperm to 20 seconds of ultrasound increased swimming ability by up to 266 per cent and reduced the proportion of inactive sperm from 36 per cent to just 10 per cent. The technique could offer hope for treating asthenozoospermia, a condition where sperm have reduced ability to move, which is a major cause of male infertility.
Alex acknowledges the research's significance whilst providing important clinical context. "This paper is of great interest as it describes a non-invasive method for enhancing the motility of individual sperm using ultrasound. The results are particularly impressive, showing the most substantial improvement in motility amongst the least motile sperm," he notes.
However, Alex cautions against overestimating the technique's immediate utility. He explains that a normal sperm sample requires meeting several criteria: a concentration of 15 million per millilitre, progressive motility in at least 35 per cent of the sample, and normal morphology in at least 4 per cent. "The current paper describes a technique that improves motility exclusively, and it does so at the individual sperm cell level," he explains. "Therefore, it is unclear whether a similar technique of stimulating the entire sperm sample with ultrasound waves would enhance the overall motility of the said sample."
Alex suggests potential applications: "This novel approach could be particularly beneficial in situations where only a few poor-quality sperm are available or when no sperm can be detected in an ejaculate, necessitating a testicular biopsy to obtain sperm." He emphasises that whilst the technique shows promise, future research should focus on clinical outcomes such as fertilisation, blastulation, and pregnancy rates to determine its true clinical utility.
A/Prof Alex Polyakov
Associate Professor Alex Polyakov is an Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Fertility specialist practicing in East Melbourne. A/Prof Polyakov is unique among fertility specialists by offering a holistic approach that encompasses surgical, fertility, and obstetric care. This means Alex is highly trained to perform surgical interventions for gynaecological conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, and intrauterine polyps/adhesions.
