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Alginate scaffold for organ culture of cryopreserved-thawed human ovarian cortical follicles

  • Fertility Preservation
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To compare macroporous alginate scaffolds with Matrigel for culturing frozen-thawed human primordial follicles in organ culture.

Methods

Twelve girls/women donated ovarian tissue. One tissue sample was fixed immediately after thawing (uncultured samples). Slices were cultured for 2 weeks on either Matrigel or on alginate scaffolds with a serum-free culture medium. Growth evaluation consisted of follicular counts and classification, immunohistochemistry and measurement of 17β-Estradiol (E2) production.

Results

The number of developing follicles was significantly higher in alginate scaffold-cultured samples than on Matrigel with a concomitant decrease in the number of primordial follicles in alginate scaffold-cultured samples than uncultured samples. The number of atretic follicles after 1 week was significantly higher in the Matrigel-cultured samples than in the alginate scaffold cultured samples. E2 production was similar in both groups.

Conclusions

Three dimensional alginate scaffolds are a promising putative in vitro technology for developing human primordial follicles.

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Acknowledgment

The authors are greatly indebted to Ms. Gloria Ganzach from the Editorial Board of Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital for the English editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Infertility and IVF Unit, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Alon Kedem, Benjamin Fisch, Avi Ben-Haroush, Carmela Felz & Ronit Abir

  2. Infertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Alon Kedem, Ariel Hourvitz & Joshua Dor

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Michal Shachar

  4. The Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Smadar Cohen

  5. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikvah, Israel and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Enrique Freud

  6. Infertility and IVF Unit, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva, 49100, Israel

    Ronit Abir

Authors
  1. Alon Kedem
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  2. Ariel Hourvitz
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  3. Benjamin Fisch
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  4. Michal Shachar
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  5. Smadar Cohen
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  6. Avi Ben-Haroush
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  7. Joshua Dor
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  8. Enrique Freud
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  9. Carmela Felz
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  10. Ronit Abir
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronit Abir.

Additional information

Capsule Culturing human ovarian cortical tissue on a macroporous alginate scaffold seems to promote better follicular development than culturing on Matrigel

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Kedem, A., Hourvitz, A., Fisch, B. et al. Alginate scaffold for organ culture of cryopreserved-thawed human ovarian cortical follicles. J Assist Reprod Genet 28, 761–769 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9605-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9605-x

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