The role of seminal plasma extracellular vesicles in changes in the morphofunctional characteristics of human spermatozoa

For a long time, the role of seminal plasma during human fertilization remained underestimated. Numerous studies related to the development of different methods for human embryo in vitro cultivation were gener-ally concerned with the quality of male and female gametes. However, in recent years, the development of Omix technologies provided a new insight into great seminal plasma influence on the morphofunctional characteristics of spermatozoa. This is especially true for the regulatory function of extracellular vesicles secreted by male reproductive tract cells. In this work, we attempted to analyze current data on the influence of extracellular seminal plasma vesicles on the morphofunctional characteristics of spermatozoa to solve male infertility topical issues. The review includes studies by foreign and Russian research groups that werу conducted within the past 5 years and found in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases. Very few studies demonstrate that seminal plasma vesicles act as functional regulators of male fertility and their dysfunction may lead to infertility. The use of seminal plasma extracellular vesicles in clinical practice may significantly increase the success of IVF programs, especially in impaired spermatogenesis. Keywords: extracellular vesicles, exosomes, biomarkers, seminal plasma, spermatozoa, assisted reproductive technology, cell biology, morphology