Evaluation of the Impact of Vitrification on Oocytes

This study will recruit patients from the NY/NJ/CT/eastern PA area only.

Cryopreservation of human oocytes has a great potential to preserve or extend fertility in
the face of disease whose treatment would result in a loss of ovarian function. (malignancy,
severe autoimmune disease, etc.). It would also provide a means of quarantining oocytes to
be used in oocyte donation to provide the lowest possible risk of infection.

There are two methods for storage of oocytes: slow freezing or vitrification. Slow freezing
is the conventional method and has been successfully used for embryos since 1983 and more
recently for oocytes. Recent reports indicate that vitrification may be more successful
than slow freezing. However, the technique has not been rigorously validated to date. The
aim of this study is to determine the rate of cryosurvival of mature oocytes following
vitrification, and to then compare the reproductive potential of vitrified oocytes relative
to those which have not been cryopreserved.

Patients will undergo ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) according to the
protocol recommended by their primary doctor. After retrieval, mature oocytes will be
divided in half. One half will undergo vitrification, immediate thaw and intracytoplasmic
sperm injection (ICSI). The other half will undergo just ICSI. All embryos will then develop
on identical culture until day 3 or day 5. Prior to transfer, the best embryo from each
group will undergo biopsy for genetic fingerprinting. The patient will have a 2 embryo
transfer (one from each group). All extra embryos will be biopsied for pre-implantation
genetic diagnosis (PGD) prior to being cryopreserved. If the patient becomes pregnant, we
will follow up with an additional blood draw at approximately 9 weeks gestation and buccal
swabs after the delivery of the infant(s).