Successful Cryopreservation of Mouse Oocytes by Low Concentrations of Trehalose and Dimethylsulfoxide

Abstract

Oocyte cryopreservation may avoid some complications of human embryo freezing and preserve future fertility of young cancer patients. However, oocyte cryopreservation is still an experimental procedure, and there is a need for alternative approaches. In nature, various organisms effectively use sugars such as trehalose to undergo anhydrobiosis and cryobiosis. By overcoming the permeability barrier of cell membranes, we have previously shown that when present inside and outside of the cell, trehalose, a non-reducing sugar, protects mammalian cells including human and mouse oocytes against freezing-associated stresses.