About the project
Around 8 million children have been conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) since the first “baby tube” was born in 1978. ART methods continue to develop and one of the perspective methods is in vitro maturation (IVM). For the first time IVM in humans was introduced into clinical practice as an alternative treatment for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. However, in recent years, indications for IVM expanded to problems with physiological in vivo oocyte maturation, poor responders upon hormonal ovarian stimulation. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology presents several strategies for maintaining fertility in women using oocyte IVM. In case of emergency for female fertility preservation (FFP) prior gonadotoxic treatment immature oocytes could be retrieved with subsequent IVM and oocyte/embryo vitrification or IVM could be performed for oocytes retrieved from cryopreserved ovarian tissue.
Combination of IVM and FFP methods enable using for women of different age, independence of menstrual cycle phase and application in case of urgency of gonadotoxic treatment or surgery which could impact fertility and to avoid metastasis. However efficiency of IVM and cryopreservation protocols for immature oocytes is not still satisfied and should be improved.
It is well-known that cumulus cells (CC) play an important role in oocyte maturation holding the oocytes under meiotic arrest, causing meiosis to restore, and maintaining cytoplasmic maturation. Unfortunately cryopreservation cumulus oocyte complexes by vitrification leads to disruption of tight intercellular contacts compromised oocyte further maturation, fertilization and embryo development.
The Project is aimed to study influence of growth factors of restoration of gap-junction between the CCs and oocytes and to improve cryopreservation outcomes for immature oocytes.
It is well-known that cumulus cells (CC) play an important role in oocyte maturation holding the oocytes under meiotic arrest, causing meiosis to restore, and maintaining cytoplasmic maturation. Unfortunately cryopreservation cumulus oocyte complexes by vitrification leads to disruption of tight intercellular contacts compromised oocyte further maturation, fertilization and embryo development.
The Project is aimed to study influence of growth factors of restoration of gap-junction between the CCs and oocytes and to improve cryopreservation outcomes for immature oocytes.
The specific goals of the IVM+FFP Project are:
1. Evaluation of EGF and IGF-1 effect on restoration of gap junction between the oocytes and cumulus cells.
2. Improve cryopreservation outcomes of CC and oocytes by using differentiation approach for cryopreservation methods.
3. Estimation of growth factors and cumulus co-culture system impact on fresh and cryopreserved GV oocyte maturity, fertilization and embryo development ability.
2. Improve cryopreservation outcomes of CC and oocytes by using differentiation approach for cryopreservation methods.
3. Estimation of growth factors and cumulus co-culture system impact on fresh and cryopreserved GV oocyte maturity, fertilization and embryo development ability.
