Case report of the first successful cryopreserved ovarian tissue retransplantation in China

Abstract

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and retransplantation has been offered as a fertility preservation approach for over a decade. At least 130 live births have been reported after frozen–thawed ovarian tissue transplantation worldwide. The first International Fertility Protection Center in China was established in 2015. Until now no live birth has been reported. However, we are able to report the first Chinese successful retransplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue (September 2016) in a woman with squamous cell cervical carcinoma. Restoration of ovarian endocrine function was shown in the third month after transplantation, and after 21 months of follow-up the transplants are still active and maintaining good function. This first report of successful retransplantation represents a milestone in the field of fertility preservation in China.

Keywords:

• Fertility preservation
• ovarian tissue cryopreservation
• transplantation
• first case
• China

Acknowledgements

For establishing the first ovarian tissue cryobank, the authors very much thank Prof. Markus Montag (International Reprolab Consulting ilabcomm GmbH, FertiProtekt Network, Germany) and Dr Jana Liebenthron (University Women's Hospital, Duesseldorf, Germany) for their great help and continuing support.

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This case was supported by Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals Clinical medicine, Development of Special Funding Support (code: XMLX201710); Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research (code: 2016-2-2113); Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (code: Z161100000516143); Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals’ Ascent Plan (code: DFL20181401); Beijing Municipality Health Technology High-level Talent (code: 2014-2-016); SAFEA: Project for Key Foreign Experts (code: 20181100005); and Beijing Nature Science Foundation (code: Y181004).