Sertoli cell-based gene therapy?

Abstract

The Sertoli cell has always been depicted as a critical cell type within the testis even in the first paper by Enrico Sertoli. When describing the Sertoli cells, he used the term ‘‘mother cells,’’ suggesting a unique role for these cells in germ cell maturation and development [1]. In the 1950s, with the use of better microscopy, Enrico Sertoli’s intuitive observations were confirmed [2]. Scientists determined that Sertoli cells stretch from the basement membrane to the lumen and are in intimate contact with germ cells as they mature and develop into viable sperm. Later, the Sertoli cell was recognized as a major orchestrator of the testis during sex differentiation and gonadal development since it expresses Sry [3] and initiates the cascade of gene expression that regulates both seminiferous cord formation and sex-specific vascular development [4–6]. Thus, there is no denying that the Sertoli cell has a critical function in testis development, spermatogenesis and male fertility.