Abstract BACKGROUND: In vitro follicle growth is a promising fertility preservation strategy in which ovarian follicles are cultured to produce mature and fertilization-competent oocytes. However, in primates, there has been limited success with in vitro follicle growth starting from primordial and primary follicles because adequate…
Female cancer patients who seek fertility preservation but cannot undergo ovarian stimulation and embryo preservation may consider: 1) retrieval of immature oocytes followed by in vitro maturation (IVM); 2) ovarian tissue cryopreservation followed by transplantation or in vitro follicle culture (IVFC). Conventional IVM is carried…
Abstract The availability of viable oocytes is the limiting factor in the development of new reproductive techniques. Many attempts have been made to grow immature oocytes in vitro during recent decades. Recently, a modified alginate-based three-dimensional culture system was designed to support the growth and…
Abstract In vitro ovarian follicle cultures may provide fertility-preserving options to women facing premature infertility due to cancer therapies. An encapsulated three-dimensional (3-D) culture system utilizing biomaterials to maintain cell-cell communication and support follicle development to produce a mature oocyte has been developed for the…
Abstract OBJECTIVE: To develop an in vitro strategy to support the growth of early-stage follicles and produce mature oocytes competent for fertilization. DESIGN: Whole ovaries from 8-day-old mice were cultured for 4 days, and then secondary follicles were isolated and cultured for 12 days in…
Abstract The ovarian follicle is the functional unit of the ovary that secretes sex hormones and supports oocyte maturation. in vitro follicle techniques provide a tool to model follicle development in order to investigate basic biology, and are further being developed as a technique to…
Leader of the Brazilian Oncofertility Consortium Wins a Recognized Research Prize in Brazil Dr. Jhenifer Rodrigues recently was awarded a prestigious prize for her PhD disseration. Below is a blog from Dr. Rodrigues highlighting her success: By Jhenifer Rodrigues, PhD The researcher and leader of…
We have exciting news to share – registration for the 7th annual Oncofertility Conference: Cancer and Fertility Around the Globe is now open! Please visit the conference webpage to view the agenda, speaker biographies, submit an abstract (submissions closed) for the poster session, and to…
Fertility Preservation (FP) programs are imperative to comprehensive cancer treatment plans, but not all providers are able to offer this level of care to their patients. Often, this is not for lack of want, but rather it results from a scarcity of resources or insufficient…
By Nadia Johnson In October 2010, the Center for Reproductive Research (CRR) supported an exhibit at the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival, held on the National Mall, in Washington, DC, in which we showcased the Women’s Health Science Program, drew attention to the under-representation…
Yesterday, April 26th, was Take Your Kids to Work Day and as always, the Woodruff Lab opened its doors to the future generation of white coats! Woodruff Lab members brought their children in to take part in a day of activities to help them learn more…
Students and scientist-organizers of the March 12th Oncofertility 101 course Last week, the Oncofertility Consortium hosted its second Oncofertility 101 course. In this laboratory-based course, organized by Francesca Duncan, PhD, and Jennifer Pahnke, MS, researchers learn the methods to study ovarian follicle growth in an…
By Nadia Johnson, Co-Director of the Oncofertility Saturday Academy On Saturday, February 18th, 31 high school girls hailing from six different local Chicago high schools celebrated the culmination of the sixth annual Oncofertility Saturday Academy (OSA) with a family day and graduation event. OSA is…
In case you haven’t heard about the Cancer Smashers, you must continue reading and get to know this fantastic group of young people banning together to raise money to eradicate cancer. Let me begin by telling you who they are and what they’re all about.…
By Francesca Duncan Most cancer therapies, while life-preserving, can threaten the future fertility of both males and females. Fortunately, the menu of fertility preservation options is broad, and due to ongoing research efforts through the Oncofertility Consortium and around the globe, these options are ever-expanding. …
Members of the Oncofertility Consortium recently published an article in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JOVE), to disseminate some of the techniques prioneered by the group. The video article both describes and shows how authors Ariella Shikanov, Min Xu, Teresa Woodruff, and Lonnie Shea encapsulate…
The last two weekends saw graduation events from Oncofertility Saturday Academies more than 2,000 miles apart. On February 26, the academy based out of Oregon Health & Science University graduated 10 freshmen through senior high school students. The young men and women in the program…
A new article by members of the Oncofertility Consortium identified conditions to improve non-human primate secondary follicle growth in a three-dimensional alginate matrix. The study, "Secondary follicle growth and oocyte maturation during encapsulated three-dimensional culture in rhesus monkeys: effects of gonadotrophins, oxygen and fetuin," found…
Day 2 with our embedded journalist. —– By Kirsten Tellam I was really excited for my day at the oncofertility lab today– I actually got my hands in a pair of gloves and did some work! First it was time for follicle isolation. Ovaries are…
The National Mall in Washington D.C. was the place to be for inquisitive minds this past weekend–the USA Science and Engineering Festival held there on Saturday and Sunday drew crowds of nearly 1 million people who took part in over 1,500 hands-on activities, exhibits, and…
Image: Celsias.com Jessica Hornick —– The Fall 2009 Oncofertility Consortium’s Virtual Grand Rounds hosted Dr. David Wildt of the Center for Species Survival at the Smithsonian National Zoo for his talk entitled “Sex, Wildlife and Intensive Management”. Joining him in giving this seminar were Dr.…
By: Lauren Ataman-Millhouse -