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Research Research teams Andrology/Assisted Reproductive Research Group

Andrology/Assisted Reproductive Research Group

Andrology and Assisted Reproduction Research Group

Head of the Research Group

Prof. Dr. Sándor Cseh
Professor, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), Dipl. ECAR

Visiting Professor (since 2018): University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy

Contact: [Click to see email] 

Members of the Research Group

Professor:
Dr. Sándor Cseh

Researchers:
Dr. Mónika Bacsa, DVM – PhD student
Dr. Anna Csepreghy, DVM – PhD student
Dr. Bence Somoskői, MSc, PhD – Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Dóra Balassa-Török, PhD – Research Fellow
Dr. Boglárka Vincze, DVM, PhD – Associate Professor
Dr. Nóra Vass, DVM, PhD

Assistant:
Zsuzsanna Keresztes – Medical Laboratory Assistant

Veterinary Residents:
Dr. Boglárka Vincze, PhD
Dr. Nóra Vass, PhD

Key Research Areas – Overview

  1. Our research focuses on improving reproductive performance in a colony of experimental American Foxhound dogs maintained by the Heart and Vascular Center of Semmelweis University, using assisted reproductive technologies. These include semen cryopreservation, endoscopy-assisted intrauterine transcervical insemination (TCI), and the use of epididymal sperm for fertilization.The preservation of the foxhound breed is essential for the clinic due to its calm temperament and robust physiology, making it particularly suitable for cardiovascular research.
  2. The ovarian cortex contains hundreds of thousands of immature oocytes within follicles. Their collection and cryopreservation would enable long-term genetic resource banking and allow future reproduction from valuable females even after unexpected death. Although ovarian tissue cryopreservation has been successfully applied in several species, it carries risks such as disease transmission upon transplantation. Consequently, increasing attention has been directed toward preantral follicle culture, cryopreservation, and utilization. Our research group conducts intensive studies on the in vitro culture and long-term preservation of preantral follicles using mouse and canine (including shelter program) ovaries. From a veterinary and animal breeding perspective, these methods are particularly relevant for conservation biology, supporting the preservation of genetic diversity in endangered or indigenous breeds at risk of genetic erosion and extinction.

Selected Publications

Canine sperm cryopreservation and TCI

Bacsa, M.; Török, D.; Bordás, L.; Somoskői, B.; Müller, L.; Szilágyi, E.; Erdei, K.; Radovits, T.; Dobos, A. B.; Cseh, S.
Reproduction of a genetically valuable experimental canine population using assisted reproductive techniques.
Magyar Állatorvosok Lapja 147(9): 537–543 (2025)

Bacsa, M.; Török, D.; Müller, L.; Erdei, K.; Cseh, S.
Support of reproduction in a valuable canine colony using assisted reproductive techniques – Case report.
Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 74(1): 55–57 (2026)

Preantral follicle culture and cryopreservation

Somoskői, B.; Török, D.; Lacalandra, G. M.; Bordás, L.; Cseh, S.
In vitro culture of canine preantral follicles after slow freezing.
Animal Reproduction Science (2025)

Bordás, L.; Somoskői, B.; Török, D.; Vincze, B.; Cseh, S.
Post-thaw viability of mouse preantral follicles after cryopreservation.
Reproductive Biology (2023)

Research Fields

  • Andrology / male reproductive biology
  • Assisted reproduction and ART techniques
  • Embryology and spermatology
  • Gamete and embryo cryopreservation
  • In vitro fertilization (IVF)
  • Embryo transfer

Professional Memberships

  • Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology
  • Hungarian Society for Assisted Reproduction
  • Hungarian Society for Reproductive Biology
  • Hungarian Andrology Society
  • Hungarian Embryology Society
  • European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR) – Education and Residency Committee
  • European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)

Long-term Collaborations

  • Richter Reproductive Network
  • Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute
  • University of Debrecen – Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
  • University of Pécs – Faculty of Medicine
  • St. John’s Hospital – Buda Infertility Center
  • University of Szeged – Faculty of Pharmacy
  • University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Austria)
  • University of Thessaly – Faculty of Veterinary Science (Greece)
  • University of Bari – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Italy)
  • University of Córdoba – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • University of Extremadura – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • ICAR – National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (India)

Services Available

  • Embryological analyses and embryo culture
  • Spermatological examinations
  • In vitro fertilization (IVF)
  • Gamete and embryo cryopreservation
  • Artificial insemination and embryo transfer

Grants

Ongoing Projects

  • SNN_25 (Hungarian–Slovenian cooperation, 2026–2028)
    Advanced cryobiological and biomarker-based strategies for preserving genetic resources of endangered indigenous pig breeds
  • UNIVET Research Group Grant (2026–2027)
    Canine sperm cryopreservation and TCI; preantral follicle culture and freezing
  • UNIVET Young Researcher Grant (2026–2027)
    Development of assisted reproductive techniques in exotic animal species
  • MTA Bolyai Research Scholarship (2024–2027)
    Development of assisted reproductive technologies in dogs

Project Descriptions (Selected)

Hungarian–Slovenian Cooperation

Cryopreservation of boar semen is significantly less efficient compared to other livestock species, which poses a major risk for indigenous breeds vulnerable to disease outbreaks such as African swine fever.

Our objective is to identify the causes of low cryopreservation success rates by analyzing multiple biomarkers using both conventional and advanced methodologies. We investigate differences in semen quality, cryotolerance, and metabolic profiles among Hungarian Large White, Mangalica, and Krškopolje breeds.

UNIVET Research Group Project

  • Improvement of reproductive performance in experimental foxhound colonies using ART
  • Development of ovarian tissue and preantral follicle preservation techniques for genetic conservation

UNIVET Young Researcher Project

Sperm cryopreservation plays a key role in preserving genetic diversity, particularly in rare and endangered species. However, ARTs are rarely applied in exotic species due to limited sample availability and significant interspecies variability.

This project aims to develop cryopreservation and storage protocols primarily for chameleon species, with further extension to additional species during the research period.

Bolyai Research Project

Cryopreservation and in vitro culture of preantral follicles offer powerful tools for genetic conservation in wildlife and zoo animals, and have important applications in human medicine.

Our research has led to the development of a reliable culture medium supporting in vitro growth of canine and murine preantral follicles (PAF IVC).

However, assisted reproductive techniques such as IVM, IVF, and IVC show low efficiency in dogs due to species-specific reproductive physiology. Canine oocytes are ovulated at the germinal vesicle stage and reach fertilizable metaphase II only after 54–72 hours, accompanied by rising progesterone levels.

The aim of the project is to develop protocols that improve the efficiency of IVM, IVF, and preantral follicle culture systems in dogs.