Two successful pregnancies obtained following oocyte vitrification and embryo re-vitrification.
Recent clinical reports not only show that cryopreserved embryos can be successfully used for human fertility treatment, but also that cryopreserved oocytes may be used successfully as an adjunct to human assisted reproductive technologies. Vitrification is known to establish a glass-like solid state during the cooling process. The high concentration of cryoprotectants and an extremely rapid rate of cooling are responsible for the formation of the solid state, and also prevent formation of intracellular ice crystals. Hence, in theory, vitrification should minimize cryo-injuries, and therefore has great promise for oocyte and embryo cryopreservation. This article describes two pregnancies from vitrified-warmed blastocysts obtained after intracytoplasmic sperm injection fertilization of vitrified-warmed oocytes. Vitrification was employed to cryopreserve the oocytes and the subsequent blastocysts. The results present the intriguing implication that vitrification may serve as an efficient method for clinical oocyte cryopreservation and embryo re-cryopreservation.
Chang
Ching-Chien
CC
Reproductive Biology Associates, 1150 Lake Hearn Drive, Suite 600, Atlanta, GA 30342, USA.
Shapiro
Daniel B
DB
Bernal
Diana Patricia
DP
Wright
Graham
G
Kort
Hilton I
HI
Nagy
Zsolt Peter
ZP
D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes; D011247:Pregnancy; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic