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Oogenesis pp 109–126Cite as

The Quest for Oogenesis (Folliculogenesis) In Vitro

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Abstract

Because of the improvements in efficacy of cancer treatments, the rates of cancer survivors are constantly increasing; however some of these more aggressive anti-cancer therapies endanger fertility.

Although the use of classical Assisted reproduction techniques, like in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo freezing/transfer (Frozen embryo transfer, FRET), are an option for certain adult patients, these techniques depend on the amount of oocytes obtained after controlled ovarian stimulation. This treatment is not suitable for children or adolescent patients, and potentially unsafe when using it in breast cancer patients. Therefore, adolescent and adult female cancer patients are being offered the possibility to cryopreserve pieces of their ovarian tissue with the ultimate goal of restoring their fertility when they are disease free.

Ovarian tissue grafting has proven successful, however the latent risk for reintroducing malignant cells, enforces the search for alternatives. In vitro culture of cryopreserved tissue, and of ovarian follicles isolated from this tissue, are challenging alternatives. Techniques for culturing ovarian tissue and follicles are under development and may benefit from advances in molecular techniques, innovative culture devices and artificial extracellular matrices.

This review focuses on state-of-the-art culturing techniques for ovarian follicles and reports on the most recent advances in the field in animal models and in human.

Sandra Sanfilippo is a visiting scientist from the Laboratoire de biologie du développement et de la reproduction, through a grant provided by Vitrolife (Convention Industrielle de Formation par la Recherche, CIFRE).

An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-826-3_23

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Acknowledgments

The Belgian Foundation Against Cancer (Project No. 221.2008).

Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie (Project No. 70719).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Follicle Biology Laboratory, UZ Brussel – Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Sergio Romero Ph.D. & Johan Smitz M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Laboratoire de biologie du développement et de la reproduction, E.A. 975, Université Clermont 1, UFR Médecine, 28 Place Henri Dunant, 63001, Clermont-Ferrand, Cedex 1, France

    Sandra Sanfilippo Ph.D.

  3. Laboratory of Hormonology and Tumormarkers, Department of Clinical Chemistry/Anatomopathology, University Hospital Free University Brussels (UZ Brussel), Laarbeeklaan 101, B-1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Johan Smitz M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Sergio Romero Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Johan Smitz M.D., Ph.D. .

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  1. BIOGENESI, Instituti Clinici Zucchi, Via Zucchi 24, Monza, 20900, Italy

    Giovanni Coticchio

  2. University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, 66160, USA

    David F. Albertini

  3. Ospedale S. Raffaele, Department of Ob/Gyn, University Vita-Salute, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy

    Lucia De Santis

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Romero, S., Sanfilippo, S., Smitz, J. (2013). The Quest for Oogenesis (Folliculogenesis) In Vitro. In: Coticchio, G., Albertini, D., De Santis, L. (eds) Oogenesis. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-826-3_8

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