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The current challenges to efficient immature oocyte cryopreservation

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Abstract

Oocyte cryopreservation represents an important tool for assisted reproductive technology. It offers the opportunity to preserve fertility in women at risk of loss of the ovarian function for various pathologies. It also represents a treatment alternative for couples that cannot benefit from embryo cryopreservation because of moral, religious, or legal constrains. On the other hand, in vitro oocyte maturation has a range of applications. It can be applied in patients with a contraindication to ovarian stimulation to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or to eliminate the risk of stimulation of hormone-sensitive tumours in cancer patients. However, while mature oocyte cryopreservation has found wide-spread application and oocyte in vitro maturation has a place for the treatment of specific clinical conditions, data on the efficiency of freezing of immature or in vitro matured oocytes are poorer. In this review we will focus on the combination of oocyte in vitro maturation with oocyte cryopreservation with particular emphasis on the biological implications of the cryopreservation of immature or in vitro matured oocytes. The two cryopreservation approaches, slow freezing and vitrification, will be discussed in relation to possible cryodamage occurring to subcellular structures of the oocyte and the functional interaction between oocyte and cumulus cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biogenesi Reproductive Medicine Centre, Istituti Clinici Zucchi, Via Zucchi, 24, 20900, Monza, Italy

    Fausta Brambillasca, Maria Cristina Guglielmo, Giovanni Coticchio, Mario Mignini Renzini, Mariabeatrice Dal Canto & Rubens Fadini

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  1. Fausta Brambillasca
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  2. Maria Cristina Guglielmo
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  3. Giovanni Coticchio
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  4. Mario Mignini Renzini
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  5. Mariabeatrice Dal Canto
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  6. Rubens Fadini
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Correspondence to Giovanni Coticchio.

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Capsule The combination of oocyte in vitro maturation with oocyte cryopreservation may find a place in assisted reproduction technology, especially in the field of fertility cryopreservation. In this review, we discuss the biological implications of the cryopreservation of immature or in vitro matured oocytes.

Fausta Brambillasca and Maria Cristina Guglielmo contributed equally.

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Brambillasca, F., Guglielmo, M.C., Coticchio, G. et al. The current challenges to efficient immature oocyte cryopreservation. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 1531–1539 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0112-0

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