卵子冷冻技术的应用进展

Progress of application of oocyte cryopreservation techniques

玻璃化卵子冷冻技术的发展使卵子冷冻后的解冻复苏率、妊娠率和婴儿出生率显著提高,目前的研究专注于降低冷冻保护剂的毒性及提高冷冻的安全性。玻璃化冷冻技术的关键是提高卵子的冻融效能。目前对冷冻后卵子长时间储存于液氮中的安全性问题尚缺乏充分研究,但鉴于其复苏率和使用效能的长足提高,现已趋于将该技术作为女性生育力保存或卵子馈赠的重要手段。文章就卵子冷冻技术的研究进展进行综述,包括玻璃化卵子冷冻的应用、意义,冷冻、解冻速率,未成熟卵子冷冻,卵子储存,卵子冷冻安全性等方面。

Recent advances in vitrification techniques have markedly improved the efficacy of oocyte cryopreservation in terms of oocyte survival and pregnancy as well as live birth rates. However, there is still room for improvement of oocyte vitrification techniques. Remaining challenges include the development of less cytotoxic vitrification solutions and safe vitrification devices. Guided by the principles of cryobiology, it should be noted that the essential element to oocyte survival during the vitrification-thawing procedures is a very high warming rate during thawing. There is no solid evidence to suggest a safety issue when the vitrified oocytes are stored for prolonged periods of time in liquid nitrogen. While recent advances in the efficacy of oocyte vitrification have been positioned by this technology as a standard procedure for female fertility preservation or in the setting of egg donation, long-term follow-up of infants born from this technology remains essential. The research progress of oocyte cryopreservation techniques is reviewed in this paper, including the application and role of vitrification techniques, velocities of freezing and thawing, immature oocyte cryopreservation, oocyte preservation and safety of oocyte cryopreservation.