SARS-CoV-2 Infection Reduces the Number of Spermatogonial Stem Cells and Dysregulates the Transcriptional Landscape of the Human Testis

    April 2026 in “ Research Square ”
    Miguel Brieno-Enriquez, Maria López-Panadés, Ana Martínez-Marchal, Esther Choi, Andrew Levy, Tianjiao Chu, Shruthi Shivkumar, Justin Bochter, Juan Morales, Patrick Walsh, Marta Martín‐Ruíz, Gretchen Rosado, Jimmaline Hardy, Yang Hu, J H. -C. Wang, Cristina Madrid-Sandín, Andros Maldonado-Linares, Lidia Yang, Èlia Ramos-Ramells, Lisa Barton, Eric Duval, Edana Stroberg, SANJAY MUKHOPADHYAY, Uma Chandran, Amanda Colvin Zielen, Kyle Orwig, O Elemento, Carmen Márquez, Subha Ghosh, Lluis Bassas, Guilherme Costa, Ignasi Roig
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    TLDR COVID-19 can harm male fertility by reducing sperm stem cells and damaging testicular function.
    The study examines the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the human testis, revealing that COVID-19 infection significantly reduces spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and Sertoli cells, causes DNA damage, and increases apoptosis. Analyzing testicular tissue from 28 COVID-19 patients and 23 controls, the study found increased immune cell infiltration and thrombosis in infected samples. Transcriptomic profiling identified COVID-19-specific changes, with detrimental effects persisting up to 12 months post-infection, leading to reduced fertility, evidenced by lower fertilization rates and fewer live births. These findings suggest potential long-term consequences of COVID-19 on male fertility by disrupting testicular architecture and function.
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