[Oocytes in vitro maturation: results and future in humans]

Mature oocytes are rare and highly specialized cells. In vitro maturation of human oocytes is an emerging assisted reproductive technology allowing to produce more mature oocytes without ovarian stimulation. Whereas in vitro maturation is technically more demanding than conventional in vitro fertilization for the laboratory, it carries many potential advantages, for example, in terms of lower treatment heaviness and removal of risk of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome for the patients. Although the technology is still experimental, oocytes in vitro maturation has been successfully used and pregnancies and live births have been reported. Despite these successes, the overall efficiency of in vitro maturation remains low and this procedure must still be improved. The different steps of in vitro maturation process are shown and discussed as well as results in terms of pregnancy and live birth rates.