Current Trends in the Application of Stem Cells and Their Derivatives in Animal Sperm Cryopreservation

Sperm cryopreservation is an important part of preserving the germ cells of various organisms. However, when gametes are frozen, various damage often occur, which have a significant impact in artificial insemination. After thawing, spermatozoa usually have ultrastructural, biochemical, and functional changes such as damage of cell membrane and chromatin and oxidative stress. Since spermatozoa have a limited capacity for biosynthetic activity, they have a low capacity for regeneration. The current trend is to improve sperm cryopreservation using natural extracellular vesicles and stem cells. Extracellular vesicles and stem cells have potential regenerative effects because they contain various bioactive molecules to affect sperm repair. The present review focuses on current strategies to improve sperm health after cryopreservation. In particular, this review describes the results of studies on the use of extracellular vesicles and stem cells as cryoprotectants during sperm freezing and thawing.