14 DAY TRIAL // Israeli scientists say they have successfully transplanted whole frozen and thawed ovaries in sheep, produced eggs from these ovaries, and then triggered them in the laboratory into early embryonic development.
The team conducted by Dr. Amir Arav, a senior scientist at the Institute of Animal Science, Agriculture Research Organization, removed ovaries from eight sheep. One whole ovary from each sheep was frozen, along with blood vessels; team used sheep because their ovaries are similar to those of humans.
For the next three to 14 days, the sheep were prepped to get their frozen ovary back. The ovaries were thawed in a special solution and transplanted back. Eggs from the transplanted ovaries were removed one to four months after transplantation.
Lab tests proved that eggs from the transplanted sheep ovaries divided and developed normally. Moreover, tests showed that the transplanted ovaries in two of the five sheep were still functioning normally three years later.
This successful experiment, that is to be reported in the September issue of Human Reproduction, offers a new perspective for using this method in women facing premature ovarian failure.
Furthermore, freezing organs may be useful for other types of lifesaving human organ transplants, which are currently done using only fresh organs, the researchers stated.