Ovarian Tissue Transplantation versus Follicular Culture

Abstract

The banking of ovarian tissue containing large number of primordial follicles has become widespread as one of the promising fertility preservation options in young cancerous patients. There are substantially three approaches in female fertility restoration including embryo and oocyte freezing as well as ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Two former methods require ovarian hyperstimulation which in turn have their own side effects and limitations. The third option as the only feasible approach in prepubertal girls allows immediate cancer treatment. In third method, two main approaches are proposed. One is ovarian tissue transplantation which may not be an applicable approach for all patients especially where there is a chance of reintroducing malignant cells. The second approach with greater interest is one or two steps ovarian follicular culture followed by in vitro maturation of resulting oocytes and the subsequent IVF and IVC procedures. Among various studies conducted in different species, following follicle culture, the live birth has been achieved only in mouse. In this review various aspects of the studies done in this area would be challenged.