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Chromosomal abnormalities represent a significant genetic cause of male infertility because they impair spermatogenesis. The objective of the current study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of chromosomal abnormalities in Greek men with infertility. Four hundred eighty-eight infertile men (27 azoospermic, 168 with oligospermia -98 mild, 57 moderate, 13 severe- and 293 with normospermia) undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) between 2016-2022 were enrolled in the study. Thirty-eight fertile men were also studied. Chromosomal analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes was performed using standard cytogenetic techniques. 21/488 (4.3%) of men tested had an abnormal karyotype; 13 (2.7%) had sex chromosome abnormalities and 8 (1.6%) had autosomal ones. No chromosomal aberration was detected in the control group. The frequency of chromosomal alterations was significantly higher in azoospermic men than in men with oligospermia and normospermia (37% vs 4.2% and 1.4% respectively, p < 0.05). Moreover, in men with oligospermia, cytogenetic abnormalities were more common in the severe group (7.7%) followed by the moderate (5.25%) and the mild group (3%). The results of the study are by the literature. Karyotyping is suggestive especially in oligospermic /azoospermic men and before proceeding to IVF. The advent of high throughput sequencing technologies and genome-wide association studies will contribute to discovering novel promising genetic factors involved in male infertility.

The main aim of the present systematic review was to summarize the most frequently used telomerase regulators with an impact on aging and cancer that are referred to in in vitro and in vivo studies. For this purpose, a systematic review of the available literature on telomerase regulators referred to in articles from PubMed and Scopus libraries published from 2002 to 2021 and in accordance with PRISMA 2020 criteria, was conducted. Articles were included if they met the following criteria: They referred to telomerase modulators in aging and in cancer and were in vitro and/or in vivo studies, while studies that did not provide sufficient data or studies not written in English were excluded. In the present systematic review, 54 publications were included, of which 29 were full-text published studies, 11 were full-text reviews, 10 structure-based design studies and 4 abstracts are reported in this review. Telomerase regulators were then categorized as synthetic direct telomerase inhibitors, synthetic indirect telomerase inhibitors, synthetic telomerase activators, natural direct telomerase activators, natural telomerase inhibitors and natural indirect telomerase activators, according to their origin and their activity. On the whole, as demonstrated herein, telomerase regulators appear to be promising treatment agents in various age-related diseases. However, further in vivo and in vitro studies need to be performed in order to clarify the potentiality of telomerase as a therapeutic target. Title in WoS: tau elomerase inhibitors and activators in aging and cancer: A systematic review