OVARY BANK: AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FERTILITY IN CANCER-DIAGNOSED FEMALES

  • Franciele Osmarini Lunardi Universidade Estadual do Ceará
  • Isabela Seabra Ferreira Universidade do Estado de São Paulo
  • Marcelo Picinin Bernuci Universidade de São Paulo
Keywords: Cryopreservation, Female Fertility, Cancer, Follicle-Genesis

Abstract

During the last decades cancer therapy positively demonstrated a great impact on cancer patients´ survival rates. It may be estimated that, in the long term, thousands of females will survive cancer. However, chemio- and radio-therapy destroy germination cells in the gonads, which may lead to permanent infertility. Contrasting to those in males whose methods of fertility preservation are clinically defined, the methodologies in females are still limited. The removal and freezing of the ovary tissue prior to cancer therapy for the future use in tissue implant procedures have been suggested as the main therapeutic alternative for the preservation and restoration of the endocrine and reproduction function in cancer-diagnosed females. To date, more than twenty birth from the association of cryo-preservation techniques and transplants of ovary tissues in women have been reported. Since a protocol for cryopreservation of ovary tissues has not been developed to warrant the maintenance of follicular and oocyte viability exactly as that in the fresh tissue, much care has to be taken in the technology in clinical practice. In the wake of urgency on the clinical feasibility of an ovary tissue bank, current analysis will review the main efforts with regard to the development and application of cryo-preservation technique of the ovary tissue in the treatment of female infertility due to cancer therapy.

Author Biographies

Franciele Osmarini Lunardi, Universidade Estadual do Ceará
Doutoranda no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias da Faculdade de Veterinária da Universidade Estadual do Ceará - UECE, Fortaleza, CE.
Isabela Seabra Ferreira, Universidade do Estado de São Paulo
Graduanda no Curso de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP.
Marcelo Picinin Bernuci, Universidade de São Paulo
Pesquisador no Centro de Reprodução Humana do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo - FMRP-USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP; Docente do Programa de Mestrado em Promoção da Saúde na UNICESUMAR – Centro Universitário de Maringá, Maringá, PR.
Published
2013-12-18
Section
Artigos de Revisão