Exploring infertility biologically and sociologically: The hidden risks and benefits of oocyte freezing

Abstract

tive and therapeutic measures against the decline in oocyte quality. We have been studying the mechanism of oocyte aging in animal experiments. There are two types of oocyte aging : pre - ovulatory and post - ovulatory. Both kinds of oocyte aging cause deterioration in embryonic development. We found that, in post - ovulatory oocyte aging, mitochondrial dysfunction due to oxidative stress is the leading cause of the decline in oocyte quality. However, a decrease in mitochondrial function was observed in preovulatory aged oocytes, which was not associated with the increased oxidative stress. It was sug-gested that different molecular mechanisms may be involved in the deterioration of embryonic development in post - ovulatory and pre - ovulatory aged eggs. At present, there is no effective treatment for age - related fertility decline, and the only remedy is oocyte cryopreservation at a young age. Oocyte cryopreservation has been done for two reasons : a medical indication to prevent the loss of ovarian function due to cancer treatment and a non - medical indication for healthy women to prevent future loss of fertility. While there are some advantages in the latter case, it is not recommended due to the risks associated with older pregnancies and complications for the mother and child. In this paper, I review the disease of infertility from both biological and sociological perspectives and outline the current status of infertility and its problems.