The Special Program of Assisted Reproduction (SPAR) is a program offered to

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

discordant couples (

serodiscordant A serodiscordant relationship, also known as mixed-status, is one where one partner is infected by HIV and the other is not. This contrasts with seroconcordant relationships, in which both partners are of the same HIV status. Without effective pr ...

) at the Bedford Research Foundation's clinical laboratory. The program takes advantage of ART ( assisted reproduction technology) procedures (including " sperm washing") to assist couples achieve a pregnancy who would otherwise risk transmitting the father's

infection to the mother and the child through intercourse. SPAR employs extremely stringent safety standards; samples will only be submitted for "sperm washing" and

cryopreservation Cryopreservation or cryoconservation is a process where biological material - cells, tissues, or organs - are frozen to preserve the material for an extended period of time. At low temperatures (typically or using liquid nitrogen) any cell ...

that have first been screened for HIV

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...

particles and infected cells by specialized

molecular biology Molecular biology is a branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecule, molecular basis of biological activity in and between Cell (biology), cells, including biomolecule, biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactio ...

tests. Only samples that have been determined to have an undetectable HIV

viral burden The word ''Viral'' means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). It may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spre ...

will be submitted for

infertility In biology, infertility is the inability of a male and female organism to Sexual reproduction, reproduce. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy organism that has reached sexual maturity, so children who have not undergone puberty, whi ...

procedures. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as

in vitro fertilization In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation in which an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating the ovulatory process, then removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from ...

(IVF), treat many disorders of the female, but until recent years, treatment options for male factor infertility were limited, and donor

sperm Sperm (: sperm or sperms) is the male reproductive Cell (biology), cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm ...

was routinely recommended to achieve a pregnancy. Advances in ART, however, have created new possibilities for men with male factor infertility, including those whose sperm counts have been decreased by

cancer treatment Cancer treatments are a wide range of treatments available for the many different types of cancer, with each cancer type needing its own specific treatment. Treatments can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, targ ...

and other diseases, and men with incurable, sexually transmissible virus diseases. Infectious diseases transmissible by semen for which there is no cure include: * Hepatitis B * Human

T Cell T cells (also known as T lymphocytes) are an important part of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell receptor (TCR) on their cell ...

Leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

Virus (HTLV-1) * Human

Immunodeficiency Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromise, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that aff ...

Virus (HIV)

History

SPAR began in 1994 at the New England Deaconess Hospital (now

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and one of the founding members of Beth Israel Lahey Health. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital (f ...

) as a support group for couples wishing to parent when one of them had an incurable

sexually transmitted disease A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, or ...

. The patient couples began raising money to fund the research needed to develop the methods to improve the safety of attempting pregnancy. By 1996 sufficient funds were available to begin, but a merger between the Beth Israel Hospital and the New England Deaconess Hospital (now

) necessitated the creation of an independent

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

public charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of ...

, the Assisted Reproduction Foundation (now the Bedford Stem Cell Research Foundation directed by Dr. Ann Kiessling), to continue the work. Within two years, the methods for reducing, and perhaps eliminating, the risks of infection to the mother and the child were developed and Baby Ryan was born in 1999. The goal of SPAR was to provide semen testing by experts that would ensure improved safety of sperm that could then be shipped to infertility clinics near the couple's home. In this way, couples could be cared for in the same manner as other couples in their community. Fortunately, a few clinics were willing to help with this effort, and by 2002, seven collaborating clinics around the country were caring for couples living with

disease. In the Spring of 2000 a ground breaking study was completed, giving significant insight to the role of semen producing organs in

anti-viral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Antiviral drugs are a class of antimicrobials ...

therapy. {{cite journal, title=HIV-1 in Semen: an isolated virus reservoir, journal=

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication. The journal publishes ...

, pmid=9343504, year=1997, last1=Byrn, first1=RA, last2=Zhang, first2=D, last3=Eyre, first3=R, last4=McGowan, first4=K, last5=Kiessling, first5=AA, volume=350, issue=9085, pages=1141, doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(97)24042-0, s2cid=2894601

References

External links

Special Program of Assisted Reproduction at the Bedford Research Foundation Clinical Laboratory

Bedford Research Foundation
HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States Human reproduction Medical and health organizations based in Massachusetts