Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting (MACS) is a type of semen preparation technique that aids to select the sperms with the best characteristics. It helps to choose the healthier sperms from the ones which are weak and show signs of sperm damage. Sperms which show decreased vitality also show high DNA damage in them and can lead to decreased fertilization and in turn possibility of successful pregnancy is diminished. We have this technology available in our Mumbai lab.
MACS uses biodegradable magnetic particles which have an antibody know as protein annexin. This antibody fastens itself to sperms with high DNA fragmentation , which are more likely to undergo programmed cell death.these sperms then pass through a column with a weak magnetic field around it. These bad dead sperms get drawn towards the wall while the healthy ones pass through the channel and can be used for the procedure.
By removing the unviable bad sperms from the semen sample, the best quality sperms are selected, and hence it can increase the pregnancy rate by 10-15 percent.