Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting
Author : Doctor Ahmed Abd El-Aziz
• Updated at: Jun 09, 2024 •
Magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) is one of the modern techniques that Bedaya Hospital has recently adopted due to its usefulness in assisted fertilization procedures such as ICSI and IVF. This technique relies on magnetic pellets to separate healthy cells from damaged cells. This technique can be used to separate healthy sperm from dead ones to select only high-quality sperm for ICSI and ensure a higher pregnancy success rate.
Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting (MACS)
The Magnetic Activated cell Sorting technique is one of the separation techniques that depend on the strength of the magnetic field to separate the target cells from the rest of the other cells by using microscopic magnetic pellets, which stick to the surface of the target cells, attract them to the magnetic column, and isolate them from the rest of the other cells.
Scientists and doctors use the technology of Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting in the treatment of many conditions such as cancer diseases, immunological diseases, stem cell therapies, and neurology. Recently, this medical technique has been included in the field of late pregnancy, infertility, and ICSI, where it is used to separate dead sperm from healthy ones.
Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting protocol
Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting Protocol is very precise but simple. A sample of the cells to be filtered is taken and then mixed with microscopic magnetic beads coated with antibodies to the cells to be attracted to the magnet. This sample is left for 15 or 20 minutes until the magnetic beads attract all the antigen cells. After that, the solution is placed in a column with a strong magnetic field, as that column attracts all cells attached to the magnetic beads while repelling other cells.
Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting for sperm preparation
A semen sample is prepared from the man and then placed in a solution of microscopic magnetic beads. Unhealthy sperm sticks to the magnetic beads, while healthy sperm remain free. The solution is left in the laboratory for a quarter of an hour until the magnetic beads adhere to the destructive animals sufficiently, and then that solution is placed in a magnetic column, which attracts the magnetic beads attached to the destroyed sperms and separates them from the healthy sperms. Thus, the process of Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting for sperm preparation has been completed.
How does magnetic-activated cell sorting work?
One of the most asked questions about MACS is how does Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorting work for a higher chance of pregnancy? The assisted reproductive procedures' success rates depend on the high-quality ovulation for the woman and the sperm of the man, and a dead sperm can not be recognized in labs because the DNA of sperm can be destroyed but this can not be seen in laboratory tests. If an unhealthy destroyed sperm has been injected into an ICSI procedure, the fertilization will fail and if the egg was fertilized successfully, the woman will miscarry.
Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting for sperm allows doctors to easily separate the damaged sperms from the healthy ones to be used in the ICSI and IVF without the risk of failing or miscarriages.
What is the MACS enrichment benefit?
MACS enrichments can save many rounds of ICSI as the doctors guarantee the used sperm in the fertilizing process is high quality and healthy which gives them a high success rate of the ICSI or IVF. Patients also get to save their money on repeated ICSI procedures that keep failing because of the dead sperm. Doctors highly recommend Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting for those who have been smoking or been through failing ICSI before.
Magnetic-Activated cell sorting sperm side effects
Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorting sperm depends on plus density gradient centrifugation method. Like any other medical techniques applied, there could be some side effects, but there is no side effect has been reported from Magnetic activated cell sorting for the sperm. On the contrary, this technique has allowed doctors to implant very healthy embryos during assisted reproductive procedures with a higher rate of a successful pregnancy.
Men who are addicted to smoking and currently surrounded by environmental toxins and chemicals are often exposed to sperm DNA damage which lead to failing prganancies because the destroyed sperms fail to fertilize the egg.
