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Z-Scores for Assessing Ovarian Reserve in Young Patients Undergoing Fertility Preservation
Published on: October 25, 2024
Options for fertility preservation in prepubertal boys
Christine Wyns1, Mara Curaba, Bernard Vanabelle
1Department of Gynecology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Cliniques Universitaires St Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, Brussels, Belgium.
Human Reproduction Update
|January 6, 2010
Summary
Preserving fertility in young boys undergoing gonadotoxic therapy is possible through cryopreservation of immature testicular tissue (ITT). While animal studies show promise, human fertility restoration methods from frozen ITT require further research and validation.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive medicine
- Oncofertility
- Stem cell biology
Background:
- Gonadotoxic therapies can impair adult fertility.
- Immature testicular tissue (ITT) cryopreservation offers experimental fertility preservation for prepubertal boys.
- Current options for ITT cryopreservation and fertility restoration are reviewed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current options for immature testicular tissue (ITT) cryopreservation.
- To discuss fertility restoration techniques following ITT cryopreservation.
- To outline indications and limitations of ITT cryopreservation for fertility preservation.
Main Methods:
- Extensive Medline search of English and French language articles.
- Keywords included: gonadotoxicity, cytoprotection, cryopreservation, ITT, spermatogonia, testicular transplantation, testicular grafting, and in vitro maturation (IVM).
Main Results:
- ITT cryopreservation is feasible for fertility preservation before gonadotoxic treatment.
- Controlled slow freezing with dimethyl sulfoxide supports human spermatogonia survival and proliferation post-xenotransplantation, with partial differentiation.
- Animal studies demonstrate successful offspring production from frozen testicular cell suspensions or tissue grafts.
- Human fertility restoration from frozen ITT (cell suspension, grafting, IVM) is not yet efficient or safe.
Conclusions:
- Optimal conditions for ITT cryopreservation for transplantation or IVM need further definition.
- Indications for ITT cryopreservation techniques are outlined.
- Limitations of ITT cryopreservation and fertility restoration methods are discussed in relation to specific diseases.
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