Frozen hope: new study banks testicular tissue for boys at risk of infertility
NCT ID NCT02972801
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study collects and freezes testicular tissue from boys and young men who are at risk of becoming infertile due to cancer, autoimmune disorders, or their treatments. The tissue is stored in a research bank, with the hope that future medical advances will allow it to be used to restore fertility. Participants undergo a testicular biopsy to obtain the tissue. The study is currently recruiting and aims to enroll 1500 participants.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- testicular biopsy and cryopreservation
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this tissue bank could enable future techniques to restore fertility in boys who would otherwise become infertile from their medical treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage tissue collection study, not a treatment. The frozen tissue may never be usable, as the methods to create sperm from it are still experimental and years away.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 1,500 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2010
- Expected to finish
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May 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Be male at any age. * Be scheduled to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, drug treatment and/or radiation for the treatment or prevention of a medical condition or malignancy with risk of causing permanent and complete loss of subsequent testicular function. * Or, have a medical condition or malignancy that requires removal of all or part of one or both testicles. * Have newly diagnosed or recurrent disease. Those who were not enrolled at the time of initial diagnosis (i.e., patients with recurrent disease) are eligible if they have not previously received therapy that is viewed as likely to result in complete and permanent loss of testicular function. * Have two testicles if undergoing elective removal of all or part of a testicle for fertility preservation only. Note: removal of both testicles will limit fertility preservation options. * Sign an approved informed consent and authorization permitting the release of personal health information. The patient and/or the patient's legally authorized guardian must acknowledge in writing that consent for specimen collection has been obtained, in accordance with institutional policies approved by the U.S. Department of Health and * Consent for serum screening tests for infectious diseases \[HIV-1, HIV-2, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C\], to be performed at the time of testicular tissue harvesting. * Undergo a full history and physical examination and obtain standard pre-operative clearance (based on the most recent ACC/AHA Guideline for Perioperative Cardiovascular Evaluation for Noncardiac Surgery) as determined by their primary surgeon. * Participating in long term follow-up is a requirement of the protocol. Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with psychological, psychiatric, or other conditions which prevent giving fully informed consent. * Diagnosed with an underlying medical condition that significantly increases their risk of complications from anesthesia and surgery.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Magee-Womens Hospital
RECRUITINGPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
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