OU Health, the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system, is the first health system in Oklahoma to offer testicular tissue preservation for prepubescent boys facing cancer treatments that could affect their future fertility. This procedure provides a potential path to biological parenthood when conventional methods, such as sperm banking, are not feasible.
The advancement offers new hope to families whose children face cancer treatments that could compromise future fertility. By introducing testicular tissue cryopreservation, OU Health is expanding access to leading-edge preservation techniques previously unavailable in Oklahoma.
Breakthrough fertility preservation in pediatric oncology
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often cause permanent sterility. While adult men can bank sperm before treatment, prepubescent boys do not yet produce viable sperm, leaving them without potential preservation options — until now.
Testicular tissue preservation addresses this gap by removing and cryopreserving immature testicular tissue, which can be stored until future scientific advances allow it to be matured into functional sperm for reproductive use. The tissue is obtained through a biopsy performed under anesthesia and then transported to the University of Pittsburgh, one of the few specialized laboratories in the United States capable of preserving immature tissue.
“We’re fortunate to have experts here who are motivated to offer Oklahomans what is available in national markets,” said OU Health urologist and male infertility subspecialist Dr. John Doolittle, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Urology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. “This speaks to the caring nature of the providers we have here and ensures families have the same access to care as anyone else in America.”
The introduction of testicular tissue preservation complements OU Health’s existing programs to protect fertility for patients of all ages. In 2024, OU Health became the first in Oklahoma to offer ovarian tissue cryopreservation for women and girls. For adult men with fertility challenges, a similar testicular tissue preservation procedure is already standard practice.
Advancing fertility preservation through research and collaboration
While techniques to mature preserved testicular tissue into functional sperm are still in development, significant progress has been achieved in animal studies and carefully controlled research involving human tissue is ongoing. The goal is to enable preserved tissue to generate sperm outside the body or, if appropriate, be transplanted back into the patient to restore fertility.
Dr. Doolittle works alongside reproductive medicine partners, Drs. Heather Burks, M.D., and Lisa Moon, M.D., FACOG, as part of OU Health’s comprehensive reproductive medicine program. The team collaborates closely with pediatric hematology and oncology specialists to identify patients who may benefit, ensuring this option is available immediately after diagnosis when cancer treatment typically begins.
“This collaborative approach demonstrates how we connect patient care, research, and education in everything we do,” said Dr. Doolittle. “We don’t follow health advances; we lead them.”
Expanding access and support for families
The Michelle Hastings Fertility Preservation Fund through the OU Foundation helps make preservation procedures more accessible to patients and families. For more information about fertility preservation options and reproductive medicine, including testicular tissue cryopreservation, contact OU Health Physicians Reproductive Endocrinology at (572) 244-0203.
About OU HEALTH
OU Health is radically transforming health outcomes as the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system. We are the destination of choice for complex care — with an unstoppable drive to change lives through discovery and healing. Patients turn to OU Health for leadership in clinical care, research and education, where advanced treatments and leading-edge therapies are developed and delivered by a nationally connected network of experts.
Our physicians serve as faculty at the OU College of Medicine and collaborate across all seven health professions colleges on the University of Oklahoma Health Campus — training the next generation of healthcare professionals and accelerating innovation that drives patient outcomes and fuels economic development.
With more than 11,000 employees and over 1,300 physicians and advanced practice providers, we serve all 77 Oklahoma counties and beyond with the state’s only comprehensive children’s hospital (Oklahoma Children’s OU Health); National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center (OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center); and the flagship academic hospital and Oklahoma’s leading Level I trauma center (OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center). With selfless collaboration and Oklahoma Proud spirit, we deliver care that reflects our deep commitment to the communities we serve. For more information, visit OUHealth.com.