Preservation of female fertility in humans and animal species

Abstract

A detailed understanding of the cryobiology of gametes and complex tissues has led to the development of methods that facilitate the successful low temperature banking of isolated mature human oocytes, or immature oocytes in situ within fragments of human ovarian cortex. Although many outstanding research challenges remain to be addressed, the successful development of new treatments to preserve female fertility for a range of clinical indications has largely been underpinned by the conduct of extensive, fundamental research on oocytes and ovarian tissues from a number of laboratory and commercially important farm species. Indeed, the most recent evidence from large animals suggests that it is also possible to cryopreserve intact whole ovaries along with their supporting vasculature for later autotransplantation and restoration of natural fertility. This review will explore how the methods developed to preserve human oocytes and ovarian tissues can now be used strategically to support the development of conservation strategies aimed at safeguarding the genetic diversity of commercially important domestic animals and also of preserving the female germplasm for wild animals and endangered species.

Autologous transplantation of fresh ovarian tissue in the ICR mice model

“…For instances, the first live birth after cryopreservation of ovaries was achieved in mice in the 1960s. Since then, scientists have successfully cryopreserved the ovaries from many animals, including humans (14). Also, this technique is helpful to study the effect of different IVA treatments on fresh ovarian tissues, ovarian tissues recovered from frozen samples of cancer patients, or POI patients (13).…”

Therapeutic Potential of In Vitro–Derived Oocytes for the Restoration and Treatment of Female Fertility

“…This issue is important, as ovarian tissue from oncofertility patients may need to be collected at tertiary centers and shipped on ice to the processing center (92). Similarly, conservation strategies in wild animals or zoo populations of rare species may involve ovary collection in the field and transportation of the organ to a distant biobank for (5). Evaluation of bovine ovarian cortex suggests that storing preantral follicles at 4°C for up to 18 h had no negative impact on morphological damage as assessed histologically (93).…”

“…In combination with ovarian tissue cryopreservation, IVGM may also be used to preserve and restore fertility in oncofertility patients for whom autotransplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue is not an option (2)(3)(4). Similarly, when combined with ovarian tissue cryopreservation, IVGM can be used to exploit the genetic potential of highproducing domestic animals and to preserve the germplasm of rare species and endangered wild animals (5)(6)(7).…”

Fertility preservation in pig using ovarian tissues by vitrification method

“…Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is a promising approach for fertility preservation in human and animal species (Picton, 2018). In human, many studies on fertility preservation has been reported with a purpose to evade infertility caused from some kinds of malignant diseases (Donnez and Dolmans, 2017;Forman, 2018) and to restore from chemical therapies (Nichols-Burns et al, 2014).…”