Development of a culture system using gene expression analysis in human oocytes and its application to fertility preservation.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18221
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Tasaki Hidetaka 岡山大学, 生殖補助医療技術教育研究センター, 助教 (00862012)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 卵母細胞 / スフェロイド / IVG / 妊孕性温存

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, to establish in vitro growth culture system of human oocytes, culture conditions were investigated using patient ovarian tissue, which obtained consent for research cooperation. As a result, primary follicles in the ovarian tissue grew into secondary follicles by air-liquid interface culture. Furthermore, the developing follicles isolated from the ovarian tissue maintained a spherical follicle morphology similar to an in vivo follicles compared to traditional two-dimensional culture by using a low-adsorption well plate. Around 100 μm at the start of the culture, the follicle diameter grew to more than 1 mm in diameter. However, the oocytes recovered from the cultured follicles did not have meiotic potential by in vitro maturation culture, suggesting that further improvement of the culture system is necessary.

Free Research Field

生殖医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

がん治療による生殖線毒性を回避するため、妊孕性温存療法への注目が高まる中、凍結保存による卵巣への影響や、融解したヒト卵母細胞の培養条件が確立されていないといった課題がある。本研究の成果から、ヒト卵母細胞を体外発育させる基礎的培養条件が確立し、今後は凍結融解前後の遺伝子発現解析の結果をもとに培養系を改良することで、体外発育培養によるがん生殖医療への貢献が期待される。