Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41690931›Full record

ArticleMicrosystems & nanoengineering2026

Female reproductive tract-on-a-chip for selecting sperm with ultra-low DNA fragmentation index.

Jing Dai, Han Shan, Yifan Gu, Mingde Zheng, Li Lou, Pingyuan Xie, Shen Zhang, Zheng Sun, Fei Gong, Guangxiu Lu and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Microsystems & nanoengineering, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Jing Dai *NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China. daijing2021@csu.edu.cn.
Han Shan *State Key Laboratory of Precision Manufacturing for Extreme Service Performance, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Yifan Gu *NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Mingde Zheng *State Key Laboratory of Precision Manufacturing for Extreme Service Performance, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Li LouNHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Pingyuan XieHealth Science Center, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
Shen ZhangClinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China.
Zheng SunNHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Fei GongNHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Guangxiu LuNHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Ge LinNHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China. linggf@hotmail.com.
Zeyu ChenState Key Laboratory of Precision Manufacturing for Extreme Service Performance, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China. zeyuchen@csu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32270911National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 52305295National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82202053
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

High levels of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) represent a critical factor in male infertility, with detrimental effects on embryonic development and offspring well-being. However, selecting sperm with low DFI remains a tremendous challenge. Here, we present an organ-level selection strategy capable of isolating spermatozoa with ultra-low DFI, achieving a remarkable reduction to 0.13% compared to 34.57% observed in raw semen. We design and fabricate a female reproductive tract (FRT)-on-a-chip (FRToC) device that mimics the entire physiological microenvironment for in vivo sperm selection, with clinical validation performed using samples from patients. The FRToC selects sperm with ultra-low DFI (mean: 0.71%) from patients with high DFI (mean: 41.93%), while also ensuring superior sperm motility and acrosome integrity. Additionally, trace sperm proteomic and single-cell copy number variants (CNV) analyses revealed that sperm sorted by FRToC exhibited an increased capacity to mitigate oxidative stress, thus resulting in more intact chromosomes. Our organ-scale selection method underscores the potential of the FRToC to select high-quality spermatozoa, offering a promising improvement for assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Identifiers

PMID41690931
PMCPMC12906502

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.