The Promise of in Vitro Maturation in Assisted Reproduction and Fertility Preservation

An innovative approach to in vitro maturation (IVM) for application in infertility treatment and fertility preservation is required to bring this patient-friendly treatment into routine practice. Current approaches to IVM never report more than a 10 to 15% implantation rate per embryo transferred, which is two to three times lower and early pregnancy losses are higher than in conventional in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The cornerstone of such an innovative culture technique is the use of pharmacological compounds that allow synchronization of nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation processes within the oocyte. The rationale of a prolonged oocyte maturation period is to promote a longer interaction between the immature oocyte with adequately conditioned cumulus cells. Successful introduction of a new approach to IVM will reduce the requirement of fertility hormones and will be less invasive to the patient's daily life by reducing the need for monitoring of serum hormone levels and intravaginal ultrasound. The new IVM conditions will reduce a whole range of minor and major complications in assisted reproductive technology and finally will also reduce the total cost for treatment. The minimal invasiveness of this procedure will benefit cancer patients who want to store gonadal tissue before undergoing therapy that devastates subsequent germ-cell competence.