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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Embryo competence and above all, live birth and offspring fitness.

Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Future progress may depend on identifying which sperm traits and their underlying genetic architecture are linked to embryo competence #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Interventions like varicocele repair, or antioxidant therapy shows improvements in semen parameters often, but translation into higher live birth rates remains inconsistent and context-dependent.

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Both may offer benefit in selected populations, but evidence remains inconsistent. As suggested by the current study and others, morphology may not be the most biologically informative trait when selecting sperm.

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Even when ICSI is ultimately used, earlier male evaluation can still influence management by identifying modifiable factors (e.g. varicocele, endocrine imbalance, lifestyle exposures), informing timing of treatment, and guiding decisions on sperm source (ejaculated vs testicular).

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

These are heterogeneous conditions. Grouping them together may obscure distinct mechanisms, ranging from meiotic defects to post-testicular damage. More granular phenotyping could reveal subgroups with very different reproductive risks and treatment responses. #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Live birth rate reflects success at the endpoint, but time-to-live-birth reflects the journey. Time-to-live-birth might be more meaningful because it captures the number of cycles, emotional burden, and financial cost required to achieve a successful outcome.

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Clinical guidelines could place greater emphasis on early and comprehensive male evaluation alongside female assessment. This would help ensure that male factor is identified earlier, supporting more targeted and efficient treatment strategies. #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

An additional challenge is that men are rarely routinely screened, and many only present after prolonged unsuccessful attempts to conceive. This delays identification of severe male factor even further, reducing the window for early intervention and increasing time-to-live-birth. #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

The clinical endpoint should not only be live birth, but also time-to-live-birth. Severe male factor may not change neonatal outcomes, but it may significantly impact the number of cycles required. #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Agree that counselling is key, but this also highlights a diagnostic gap. Better stratification could improve both patient expectations and treatment efficiency. #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

If neonatal outcomes are comparable among live births, the key biological bottleneck likely lies before implantation. #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Delighted to contribute to this discussion. Male fertility has remained underfunded and under-researched for decades, even though male factors contribute to around half of infertility cases. It is time to give male reproductive health the scientific attention it deserves. #ESHREjc

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

🙋🏼‍♂️🙋🏼‍♂️🙋🏼‍♂️ @JanStukenborg we are ready for the next expedition. Do your magic!

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Daniel Marcu @drdanielmarcu.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Thrilled to announce the first-ever NYRA-EAA-Andronet School: Omics of Male Germ Cells: Transcriptomic Analyses,taking place 24-28 Feb 2025 in Copenhagen! This hands-on bioinformatics school is tailored for Andrology researchers, covering everything from bulk to single-cell RNA-seq. lnkd.in/e8ajwZ4A

lnkd.in

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

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