New hope for cancer patients and endangered species

Cold storage is currently a hope for women who want to give birth after suffering from reproductive tissue-degenerative diseases such as ovarian cancer. The technique is also used to store animals, to protect endangered animals by establishing banks to store ovarian tissue or even new embryos to form into future offspring.

Until now, two areas of research to preserve ovarian tissue of people and animals that are quite separate from each other are now coordinating to support each other in a workshop on cold storage of ovary tissue of the Fund. European science (ESF) successfully organized. According to Claus Yding Andersen - chairing the workshop of ESF - The cold storage field for human and animal tissue can be strengthened for each other, progressing on two areas as a result of the cooperation process.

Andersen said: 'The two sides can learn from each other. Experiments cannot be conducted on women but can be carried out on animals' . He pointed out that there is a great deal of progress on human beings thanks to experiments with animals. But it is thanks to the successful ovarian tissue transplantation techniques after freezing that is successfully carried out on people whose field has gained great experience. Therefore, the ESF workshop considered the application of technology in the conservation of endangered animals. Anderson said: 'The rich experience gained in the experiment with women as well as the birth of some children after conducting thawed ovarian tissue transplantation techniques can be applied in species. threatened. From there, we can determine where the implant is and how to get it to become pregnant. ' The technique is also very valuable to the agricultural industry in preserving the ovaries of tissue banks to regenerate animals later.

Cold storage promises to restore fertility to women after suffering from reproductive tissue-damaging diseases such as ovarian cancer.Techniques are also used to store livestock or to protect endangered animals.(Photo: iStockphoto)

The workshop emphasized recent advances in human ovarian cryopreservation technology, which has helped 25 women worldwide implant ovarian tissue so far. Of the 25 people, five women gave birth after being successful in ovarian tissue transplantation , including two in Belgium, one in Israel and two in Denmark. "We will still see so many women in the years to come with the development of fertility restoration techniques in many different ways ." Currently there are more than 1,000 women globally. Their tissue cold to protect fertility, this number will increase in the future when transplantation techniques are more complete and more widespread.

The most commonly used method for cold storage is slowly cooling to minimize the damage caused by the formation of ice crystals to the follicles - the reproductive unit contains many oocytes (eggs ). However, a new method based on the phenomenon of vitrification can yield better results, both methods have been discussed at the ESF conference. The vitrification is the technique of storing ovarian tissue in glass-like form without damaging the stone crystals, which can be carried out by extremely fast cooling such as liquid nitrogen pouring for example. Liquid nitrogen will cool the water in the tissue to form a slightly solid form that does not form crystals that damage the cells.

The ESF workshop will help Europe to have a solid foundation to expand cold storage technical research through unification of human and animal research and application of expertise and equipment. Andersen said: 'I believe that we have achieved effective cooperation among all members, which has established a new partnership.'

The ESF workshop with the title of Ovarian Tissue in CryopreservationOf Ovarian Patients, Farm Animals and Endangered Species (roughly translated as cryopreservation technique of cancer patients, cattle and endangered species) is organized. In Heidelberg, Germany in May 2008. Every year, ESF supports about 50 workshops across all fields of science. These small interactive sessions aim to open new directions for research to explore new areas that have a great impact on the development of science.