"The effects of chemotherapy treatment on fertility are an important issue for long-term survivors of cancer who may not have started or completed a family at the time of diagnosis", said Mr. Carmely. "AS101 is a Tellurium-based non-toxic immunomodulatory compound developed and synthesised by us. Tellurium is a transition element with similar properties to Selenium, which is also known to have many beneficial effects."
Knowing that AS101 had been shown to have chemoprotective effects in both animal and human studies, he and his team decided to investigate whether it could be used to avoid testicular damage in mice treated with Taxol. "Clinical studies had already shown that AS101 could protect against bone marrow damage and hair loss, and also sensitises the tumour to treatment", he said.
The scientists divided the mice into four groups Taxol only, AS101 plus Taxol, AS101 only, and a control group. After 30 days they were euthanized and their testes examined and weighed. The researchers found that a single dose of Taxol had induced significant testicular weight loss compared with the control group. An injection of AS101 a day before that of Taxol prevented the Taxol-induced weight loss.
"Tissue analysis of the testes of Taxol-injected mice showed severe atrophy and empty seminiferous tubules, where the sperm-producing cells are contained", said
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Contact: Mary Rice
mary@mrcommunication.org
322-770-0407
European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology
20-Jun-2006