Cryopreservation of gonadal tissue and cells

With the advent of assisted reproductive technology and an improved underst anding of cryobiology, strategies have been developed which allow the long- term storage of gametes and embryos. Furthermore, in the light of the growi ng numbers of young adults and children who have been sterilised by success ful cancer treatment, the need to protect their fertile potential has becom e more urgent. While semen cryopreservation is available for men, the metho ds for preserving oocytes are unreliable and neither method is suitable for prepubertal children. Research attention is, therefore, focusing on the lo w temperature banking of immature germ cells with the aim to restore natura l fertility if possible or, alternatively, to use culture technology to pro duce ripe gametes for assisted conception. While there is no universal meth od for fertility conservation, gonadal tissue banking, in theory, is a prac tical alternative to gamete storage which can be utilised by both adults an d children.