Cryopreservation of functional human ovarian tissue
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of methodology for cryopreservation of functional human ovarian tissue
IRAS ID
165800
Contact name
Yacoub Khalaf
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Fertility preservation (FP) is taking an increasingly important role in cancer therapy. Newer therapies have greatly improved cure rate and long-term survival. For many cancer female patients who have not yet started a family, fertility issues are of great concern. Cryopreservation of oocytes or embryos could be currently offered to women of reproductive age who are about to undertake effective cancer treatment that could potentially make them infertile. However, this option requires controlled ovarian stimulation that takes, on average, at least two to three weeks. This can delay the cancer treatment, be physically and emotionally challenging and involve internal scans and examinations that may not be acceptable to young patients. The alternative option could be preservation of ovarian tissues. The development of reliable methods of ovarian tissue preservation will allow patients who cannot afford to delay their cancer treatment to have an option of fertility preservation within 24-48 hours.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/1261
Date of REC Opinion
11 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion