{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"institution":[{"name":"bioRxiv"}],"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T11:06:20Z","timestamp":1770462380497,"version":"3.49.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]]},"group-title":"Cell Biology","reference-count":52,"publisher":"openRxiv","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768867200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.biorxiv.org\/about\/FAQ#license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100014013","name":"UK Research and Innovation","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["MR\/S017151\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MR\/S017151\/1"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100014013","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100014013","name":"UK Research and Innovation","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["MR\/N022556\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MR\/N022556\/1"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100014013","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000294","name":"Medical Research Scotland","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["ECG-1819-2023"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ECG-1819-2023"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000294","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"National Cancer Institute","award":["R01-CA226871"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01-CA226871"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000048","name":"American Cancer Society","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["132030-RSG-18-108-01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["132030-RSG-18-108-01"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000048","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100001368","name":"V Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["T2020-004"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["T2020-004"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100001368","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Inflammatory Bowel Disease","award":["DK043351"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DK043351"]}]},{"name":"Boston Area Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Centre","award":["DK057521"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DK057521"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized as critical mediators of intercellular communication, not least during cellular stress or therapy. While EV signalling is well-studied in various tissues, its role in the prepubertal testicular environment is not well understood. Chemotherapy, commonly used in paediatric oncology, poses a significant risk to spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and may affect long-term fertility in cancer survivors. The role of EVs in chemotherapy-induced testicular damage in these patients is unknown and may be important for developing new fertility preservation methods.<\/jats:p>\n                <jats:p>Immortalised murine Sertoli (TM4) and spermatogonial (GC1-spg) cell lines were used to investigate cisplatin-induced changes in EV biogenesis, release, and function in an in vitro model of the prepubertal testicular microenvironment. Our findings indicate that cisplatin significantly increases EV secretion and internalisation by recipient cells. Notably, EVs from cisplatin-exposed Sertoli cells exhibit a novel pro-apoptotic phenotype when co-cultured with chemotherapy-na\u00efve Sertoli cells. Proteomic profiling of these EVs shows enrichment of apoptosis-regulatory proteins including caspases, activating Caspase-3\/7 in recipient Sertoli cells. Conversely, germ cells exposed to Sertoli cell-derived EVs displayed reduced levels of apoptosis as well as a chemoprotective role to germ cells undergoing treatment with cisplatin.<\/jats:p>\n                <jats:p>These findings indicate a dual role for Sertoli cell-derived EVs in mediating (1) apoptosis in Sertoli cells and (2) protection of germ cells following cisplatin exposure. The presence of pro-apoptotic molecules, especially caspases, in chemotherapy-induced Sertoli cell EVs provides mechanism for the induction of somatic cell apoptosis. Furthermore, their protective effects on germ cells demonstrate the complexity of EV-mediated signalling between testicular cell types. Manipulating EV biogenesis and cargo loading could be a promising approach to reduce chemotherapy-related gonadotoxicity and preserve fertility in childhood cancer patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.64898\/2026.01.17.699063","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T15:35:13Z","timestamp":1768923313000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Chemotherapy-induced transfer of apoptotic machinery in extracellular vesicles between somatic and germ cells of the testis: mechanistic insights into onco-fertility preservation in pre-pubertal boys"],"prefix":"10.64898","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3295-8753","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael P","family":"Rimmer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, UK"},{"name":"Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, UK"},{"name":"Edinburgh Fertility Centre, Simpsons Centre for Reproductive Health, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-8265-9808","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pamela","family":"Holland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8548-7126","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel C","family":"Rabe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Brigham, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0349-0522","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shannon L","family":"Stott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Brigham, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7553-0132","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christopher D","family":"Gregory","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2501-3003","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rod T","family":"Mitchell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, UK"},{"name":"Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"54368","reference":[{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.274.25.17860"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1095\/biolreprod.113.110486"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkx126"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jcp.24099"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.5","first-page":"2074","article-title":"Epididymis seleno-independent glutathione peroxidase 5 maintains sperm DNA integrity in mice","volume":"119","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Clin Invest"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1499","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-020-15305-w","article-title":"Reproductive tract extracellular vesicles are sufficient to transmit intergenerational stress and program neurodevelopment","volume":"11","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nature Communications"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jconrel.2023.08.031","article-title":"Sertoli cell-derived extracellular vesicles traverse the blood-testis barrier and deliver miR-24-3p inhibitor into germ cells improving sperm mobility","volume":"362","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Control Release"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(16)00086-3"},{"key":"2026020608480774000_2026.01.17.699063v1.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"D\u2019amours, O. , Frenette, G. , Bordeleau, L.-J. , Allard, N. , Leclerc, P. , Blondin, P. & Sullivan, R . 2012. 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