Patent ID: 9188582
Filing Date: 2015-11-17
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for recovering reproductive cells in the testis of an infertile or hypofertile male subject afflicted with non-obstructive azoospermia, comprising the steps of measuring in a seminal plasma sample obtained from said subject an expression level of at least one biomarker expressed in said reproductive cells selected from the group consisting of CELSR1, CT47A1-9, ART3, MAPK1, ARHGAP9, PTPN21, ZNF569, TFRC, TMED4, MLLT4, MKI67, HIST1H2BJ, DSG1, FGG, HIST1H2BA, GART, MCM3AP, PITHD1, AMBP, SI, SLC44A5, GNAO1, GNAS, ANXA2, INPP4B, SLC7A2, APOA2, EEF1E1, MAP6, RAB27B, ABCB11, SEMA3D, ATP1B3, DNASE1, TOLLIP, BROX, AHCYL2, PSMD6, TPPP2, PRDD54, AQP5, PRKACG, XPNPEP1, GALC, FAM35B, ACE, DDX3X, EIF4A2, PRND, PGLYRP2, TUBB4, INHA, ACE2, APOA1, ZDHHC20, TEX101, DPEP3, PRPS1L1, ZPBP, ZPBP2, ADAM32, TEKT3, GAPDHS, TRIM36, TKTL2, SPAM1, LYZL2, SPACA3, OTUB2, AKAP4, RFFL, and GLYPR1L1; comparing the expression level of the at least one biomarker detected in the seminal plasma sample with a reference value; determining the presence of reproductive cells in the testis of the subject wherein a higher expression level of the at least one biomarker in the sample relative to an infertile control subject and/or an equivalent or higher expression level of the at least one biomarker in the sample relative to a fertile control subject is indicative of a high probability of reproductive cells being present in the testis of the subject; and recovering said reproductive cells from the testis of the infertile or hypofertile male subject afflicted with non-obstructive azoospermia if the reproductive cells are determined to be present in the testis of said subject.