Production of Functional Oocytes In Vitro

Abstract

Although the ovaries of mammals contain thousands or millions of immature oocytes, few of these ever mature to the point at which reproduction in vivo is possible. Ovarian oocytes therefore constitute a large and potentially valuable resource for clinical and zoological application. However, the developmental program of oocytes is not fully understood. If oogenesis is completed in vitro, such in vitro systems are available for applicative and fundamental studies. In this review, focused on mouse oogenesis, we describe currently optimal in vitro systems for the production of functional oocytes. Finally, some potential future applications of these in vitro systems are discussed.