Preservation of Human Oocytes

<p>Oocyte cryopreservation entails important potential advantages for human<br>IVF offering a less ethically disputable alternative to embryo cryopreservation<br>simplifying and making safer oocyte donation and giving an opportunity for<br>fertility preservation to women at risk of premature ovarian failure as an effect<br>of genetic factors or chemo- or radiotherapies. Oocyte cryopreservation could<br>also meet the expectations of women wishing to preserve their fertility for<br>social reasons. In the last few years advances in cryopreservation<br>methodologies have dramatically improved the efficiency of oocyte<br>cryopreservation leading to the birth of over a thousand babies and<br>challenging the supremacy of embryo cryopreservation as the preferred<br>form of fertility preservation. This text has been conceived with the aim of offering a comprehensive view of the state of the art of oocyte cryopreservation. It covers fundamental concepts of low temperature storage (controlled rate slow cooling and<br>vitrification) aspects of oocyte physiology relevant to the process of<br>cryopreservation essential biological and clinical evidence and ethical<br>implications of oocyte cryopreservation thereby providing a complete<br>overview of progress in this strategy in assisted reproduction.</p>