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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 21(1)

Nuclear transfer and oocyte cryopreservation

Ching-Chien Chang A B , Li-Ying Sung B , Tomokazu Amano B , X. Cindy Tian B , Xiangzhong Yang B and Zsolt Peter Nagy A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Reproductive Biology Associates, 1150 Lake Hearn Dr, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30342, USA.

B Department of Animal Science/Center for Regenerative Biology, University of Connecticut, 1392 Storrs Rd, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.

C Corresponding author. Email: peter.nagy@rba-online.com

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 21(1) 37-44 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD08218
Published: 9 December 2008

Abstract

Somatic cells can be reprogrammed to a totipotent state through nuclear transfer or cloning, because it has been demonstrated that the oocyte has the ability to reprogramme an adult nucleus into an embryonic state that can initiate the development of a new organism. Therapeutic cloning, whereby nuclear transfer is used to derive patient-specific embryonic stem cells, embraces an entire new opportunity for regenerative medicine. However, a key obstacle for human therapeutic cloning is that the source of fresh human oocytes is extremely limited. In the present review, we propose prospective sources of human oocytes by using oocyte cryopreservation, such as an oocyte bank and immature oocytes. We also address some potential issues associated with nuclear transfer when using cryopreserved oocytes. In the future, if the efficacy and efficiency of cryopreserved oocytes are comparable to those of fresh oocytes in human therapeutic cloning, the use of cryopreserved oocytes would be invaluable and generate a great impact to regenerative medicine.

Additional keywords: cloning, stem cell.


Acknowledgement

The authors thank Ms Jaclyn Friedman for her help in revising the manuscript.


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