At what age can human oocytes be obtained?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Oncology
• Pediatric Fertility Preservation

Background:

• Fertility preservation is crucial for young cancer patients facing gonadotoxic treatments.
• Ovarian cortex cryopreservation is a standard option, but oocyte retrieval offers an alternative.
• In vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes is a developing technique for fertility preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of oocyte retrieval and IVM in girls undergoing fertility preservation prior to cancer therapy.
• To assess the feasibility of obtaining and maturing oocytes from young patients, including premenarcheal girls.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study was conducted at a tertiary university medical center.
• Oocytes were aspirated from all observed follicles before ovarian cortex cryopreservation in patients aged 20 years or younger.
• Retrieved oocytes underwent in vitro maturation (IVM) and subsequent cryopreservation.

Main Results:

• 179 oocytes were detected in 17 out of 19 patients (89%), aged 5-20 years.
• The median number of oocytes per patient was 9, with a maturation rate of 34% (45/133).
• A total of 81 oocytes were cryopreserved, with no significant age dependency observed in oocyte yield or cryopreservation numbers.

Conclusions:

• Oocyte retrieval and IVM can supplement ovarian cortex cryopreservation for fertility preservation in young girls.
• Oocytes were successfully retrieved and matured in vitro even from very young, premenarcheal patients.
• While promising, this remains an experimental procedure as no pregnancies have yet resulted.