Impact of cryopreservation on oocyte physiology, metabolism, and the proteome

Abstract

Following the first birth from a cryopreserved human oocyte over 20 years ago (1), very few births were reported during the next decade. The initial success of Chen’s technique, which was based on a slow freezing method developed using the mouse oocyte as a model, could not be repeated. Furthermore, subsequent laboratory studies revealed the potential negative effects of cooling and exposure to cryoprotectants on oocyte physiology, which raised concerns regarding the safety of such a procedure. Meiotic spindle disruption, chromosome abnormalities, zona hardening, and reduced fertilization were the initial indicators that suggested oocyte cryopreservation protocols were suboptimal and consequ..