Fertilidade masculina: mercado na América Latina e desenvolvimento de sistemas para detecção de patógenos no sêmen humano

Abstract

Infertility treatment has become big business all over the world. A medical specialty that began as an academic and innovative research activity has evolved into an industrial and commercial service that has expanded far beyond treatment. Fertility services could earn up to $31.59 billion by 2029 and the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has become a thriving commercial business within fertility services. It was noted that the fertility market has seen significant growth in both Brazil and Latin America. Specifically in Brazil, there has been growth over the last few years, with approximately 40% of assisted reproduction clinics in Latin America and revenues of around R$1.3 billion. It is estimated that between 2021 and 2025, around 77,588 patients up to the age of 35 will be treated via ART in the country. At the same time, both public policies and private sector initiatives aimed at fertility are increasing, underlining the importance of fertility in people's lives. The male fertility market has also seen significant growth as the fertility and assisted reproduction market expands. According to market reports, the global trade related to male fertility is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and is expected to reach more than $6 billion by 2027. It is from semen studies that the number of evidence that different species of microorganisms can impact seminal quality has increased in recent years. Some of the microorganisms already detected in human semen include viruses and bacteria that may have some kind of relationship with fertility, causing damage to organs and cells through inflammatory mediators. In this context, this dissertation aims to characterize the main topics related to the fertility and assisted reproduction market in Latin America and Brazil and to emphasize the growth of the male fertility market and the challenges faced in diagnosing infertility in men with two literature reviews. In addition, three PCRMultiplex panels were developed and validated in silico to detect the main pathogens of clinical importance that have already been described. The systems were obtained through sequence alignment and primer design to identify 13 pathogens in semen samples from patients with a history of infertility. These findings broaden the current perspective on idiopathic infertility and indicate future directions for research, such as analyzing the role of microorganisms in the male reproductive system. All the information gathered in this dissertation contributes to new areas of research in the areas of the market, improvement of techniques and diagnosis of conditions related to male infertility and global reproductive health.