Part 6 - Embryology in the 21st Century: Breakthroughs and Innovations
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation & Electronic Witnessing
Michael B. Yakass, Ph.D.
This is the last in the series of 6 articles, looking at some of the most recent advancements and innovations in this rapidly growing field of medicine.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation
Women in their reproductive ages diagnosed with cancers can be offered ovarian tissue cryopreservation before they undergo gonadotoxic chemotherapy and or radiotherapy. Pieces of the cortical region of the ovaries could be obtained and cryopreserved. This cryopreserved ovarian tissue could be transplanted back into the ovaries to resume egg production (Dolmans et al., 2021). Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is still being refined and there have been some success stories. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is currently offered in some clinics in America and Europe. In Ghana, there is no such report of ovarian tissue cryopreservation but it’s only a matter of time before this happens.
Electronic Witnessing
Electronic witnessing in IVF is a technology-driven approach to enhance the accuracy and security of the IVF process. This system uses electronic tags and barcodes to track and verify the identity of patients, gametes (sperm and eggs), and embryos throughout the various stages of the IVF treatment. Electronic witnessing reduces the risk of human errors, such as mix-ups or mislabeling, by providing automated verification of the identity of samples at each step of the process. Every action and movement of gametes and embryos are recorded electronically, creating a comprehensive and traceable record. This documentation helps in maintaining a detailed history of each sample, which is crucial for quality control and audits.
Conclusion & Future Directions
What is truly beautiful about the breakthroughs and innovations in embryology or reproductive medicine in general is that, one technology or innovation tends to beget another. For example, the innovation of ICSI led by Palermo in the 90s begot Assisted hatching (AH), AH made embryo biopsy possible, embryo biopsy made PGT possible of course coupled with innovations in genetics such as the next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms.
Looking ahead, the future of embryology in the 21st century holds immense promise, with ongoing research efforts focused on unraveling the complexities of embryo development and harnessing this knowledge for therapeutic applications. From decoding the genetic blueprint of human embryos and their interaction with the endometrium to engineering artificial tissues and organs in the lab, the frontiers of embryology continue to expand, driven by interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation.
References
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Brunetti, X. O., Cawood, S., Gaunt, M., Saab, W., Serhal, P., & Seshadri, S. (2021). The First Livebirth Using Warmed Oocytes by a Semi-Automated Vitrification Procedure. J Reprod Infertil, 22(1), 70-72. https://doi.org/10.18502/jri.v22i1.4998
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Dolmans, M. M., von Wolff, M., Poirot, C., Diaz-Garcia, C., Cacciottola, L., Boissel, N., . . . Andersen, C. Y. (2021). Transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue in a series of 285 women: a review of five leading European centers. Fertil Steril, 115(5), 1102-1115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.03.008
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