Edinburgh Assisted Conception Programme, EFREC, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Gynecol Endocrinol. 2020 May;36(5):381-388. doi: 10.1080/09513590.2020.1719402. Epub 2020 Jan 31.
The term 'cryopreservation' illustrates the process of freezing cells and storing at very low temperature in liquid nitrogen (-196 °C). Cooling is not a physiological condition for human cells especially due to the high concentration of water in the living matter, whose conversion to ice crystals may be associated with cell death. Human oocytes are particularly sensitive to the freezing process, primarily because of their large size and the presence of the meiotic spindle, which at low temperature can degenerate. In the last decade, the cryopreservation technology has become highly important as an option for fertility preservation (FP) in women with cancer. Anticancer therapy might promote premature ovarian failure and negatively affects the reproductive outcome. Over the years, scientists have proposed different cryopreservation strategies in the effort to maintain the physiological functions of oocytes and embryo. However, despite the first success obtained in the 1980s with frozen oocytes, it was not until recently that a new approach has been proposed: the 'Vitrification' which allowed a breakthrough in this procedure. FP is a major determinant for cancer survivor women in the reproductive age. This article describes the FP options currently available, focusing mainly on oocyte and embryo cryopreservation.
“冷冻保存”一词说明了将细胞冷冻并储存在液态氮（-196°C）中的过程。冷却不是人类细胞的生理条件，特别是由于生物体内水的浓度很高，水转化为冰晶可能与细胞死亡有关。人类卵母细胞对冷冻过程特别敏感，主要是因为它们的体积大，并且存在有丝分裂纺锤体，在低温下可能会退化。在过去的十年中，冷冻保存技术已成为癌症患者生育力保存（FP）的重要选择。抗癌治疗可能会导致卵巢早衰，并对生殖结果产生负面影响。多年来，科学家们提出了不同的冷冻保存策略，以维持卵母细胞和胚胎的生理功能。但是，尽管早在 20 世纪 80 年代就成功冷冻了卵母细胞，但直到最近才提出了一种新方法：“玻璃化”，这为该程序带来了突破。FP 是生殖年龄癌症幸存者女性的主要决定因素。本文描述了目前可用的 FP 选择，主要侧重于卵母细胞和胚胎的冷冻保存。
