This proceedings report presents the outcomes from an international workshop designed to establish consensus on: definitions for key performance indicators (KPIs) for oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, using either slow freezing or vitrification; minimum performance level values for each KPI, representing basic competency; and aspirational benchmark values for each KPI, representing best pract...

(1) Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No.1 Shueh Fu Road, Nei Pu, Pingtung, 91201, Taiwan (2) School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 221, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AS, UK (3) Plant Conservation Group, School of Contemporary Sciences, University of Abertay Dundee, Kydd Bui...

Cancer is not uncommon and no longer considered to be an incurable disorder. 10% of cancer cases occur under the age of 45. There is a remarkable improvement in treatment and survival rates. Today women have been delaying initiation of childbearing because the incidence of most cancers increases with age. Delayed childbearing results in more female cancer survivors. As a consequence there is an...

BACKGROUND Early embryo development (EED) forms the basis of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), which are used to treat human infertility and to propagate other mammalian species. Thyroid hormones (THs) play an important role in the post-implantation development of the embryo in mammals; however, the effects of THs on pre-attachment embryos are not known. Currently utilized in-vitro emb...

Background There are several indications of human female gamete cryostorage including sub-fertile and fertile patients. But our focus will be in women at risk of losing their reproductive function caused by oncologycal treatments or premature ovarian failure that could benefit greatly from this practice. Fertile women may take advantage of this technology to electively delay childbearing. The o...

in assisted reproduction techniques (art) settings, reactive oxygen species (ros) can be produced from endogenous and exogenous sources during in vitro manipulation. endogenous sources of ros include gametes and embryo, whereas exogenous sources are oxygen tension, light exposure, culture media, and the nature of some protocols, such as centrifugation or cryopreservation. elevated ros productio...

In some IVF cycles, no fresh embryo transfer in the stimulated cycle is advisable. The cryopreservation of zygotes and the transfer of blastocysts in a cryo-embryo transfer is an option to circumvent an inadequate uterine environment due to risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, inappropriate endometrium build up, endometrial polyps or uterine myomas. For this strategy, highly secure and sa...

The objective of this retrospective study was to determine an optimal time point for vitrification of cleavage-stage human embryos. This study included patients who were undergoing day 2 or day 3 vitrified-warmed cleavage-stage embryo transfer at the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Programme of the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, China, affiliated to the Tongji University School of M...