Does Sperm Have an Immune Function?

Over the last year, it’s become clear that SARS-CoV-2 infects a variety of tissues and can persist for months in them. 

In a recent study titled, Transmission electron microscopy reveals the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in human spermatozoa associated with an ETosis-like response; scientists found that when SARS-CoV-2 invades the testes, the virus can persist for months in sperm cells and causes them to release DNA-based extracellular. This process is called ETosis and is a response common to specific types of immune cells where they release DNA to trap and kill microbes. ETosis has not been reported in mammalian reproductive cells before. The findings from this study could have implications for assisted reproductive technologies.

Citation:

Hallak, J., et al. (2024). Transmission electron microscopy reveals the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in human spermatozoa associated with an ETosis-like response. Andrology, 10.1111/andr.13612. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.13612