Liang G, Wang Q, Zhang G, et al. - Investigation of the function of seminal plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) in asthenozoospermia led to the identification of dysregulated miRNA which may aid development of new and improved diagnosis and prognosis technologies for asthenospermia as well as may offer new therapeutic possibilities in the field of personalised medicine.

• From patients with asthenospermia and healthy men, seminal plasma samples were obtained and differentially expressed miRNAs were identified.

• qRT-PCR corroborated 13 altered miRNAs; six of these miRNAs were upregulated, and seven were downregulated.

• Earlier, five of the miRNAs (hsa-miR-34c-5p, hsa-miR-34b-5p, hsa-miR-146b-5p, hsa-miR-449a and has-miR-765) had been described.

• Eight of the others (miR-5000-3p, miR-4289, miR-6514-3p, miR-6882-5p and miR-6739-5p, miR-135a-5p, miR-509-3p and miR-196b-5p) were revealed in asthenospermia for the first time ever.

• Significant links of these miRNAs with PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway and FoxO signaling pathway were found.