Clinical trial NCT02322060: In Vitro Activation of Dormant Follicles for Patients with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
Official title: Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation and Auto-transplantation for in Vitro Activation of Dormant Follicles for Patients with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: In Vitro Activation
Dormant Follicle
Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
Ovarian Resistance Syndrome
Keywords: IVA, ovary tissue grafting, POI, ORS
Lead sponsor: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Stanford University
name: St. Marianna University School of Medicine
First posted: 2014-12-22
Enrollment: 100
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 39
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: CASE_ONLY
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Women diagnosed with POI/ORS who also want to get pregnant by IVF/ICSI-ET with their own oocyte.

Brief summary: In this study, the investigators used the newly developed technique i.e. in vitro activation of dormant follicles (IVA) to promote ovarian follicle growth much more efficiently than natural, in vivo process for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI).Firstly, the investigators remove one ovary under laparoscopic surgery. Then, we dissect ovarian cortex from the ovarian medulla. The ovarian cortex is cut into small cubes and cultured with medium containing drugs to activate dormant follicles. After 2 days of culture, the ovarian cubes are transplanted mainly beneath the membrane of Fallopian tubes under laparoscopic surgery. The ovarian cortex could be cryopreserve for future re-transplantation and in some cases, for convenience to arrange second surgery. Once frozen, the ovary can be preserved semipermanently. After transplantation, patients receive ultrasound monitoring together with measurement of serum hormone levels for 10-12 months. If growing follicles are detected, follicle growth is stimulated by injection of hormones (gonadotropins). Using the same "ovum pick up" approach used in IVF (in vitro fertilization), we pick up oocytes from the follicles and fertilize them. Fertilized eggs are cultured and then cryopreserved for future embryo transfer.

Currently, we recurit patients diagnosed with POI, or Ovarian resistance syndrome (ORS). The procedure can also be: Only superficial cut of the ovarian cortex by laparoscopy or laparotomy, without taking ovary outside or cultured with medium.

Detailed description: I: Former IVA

1. Remove one ovary (maybe both ovaries depending on the condition) is performed by laparoscopic surgery. (Depending on the condition of patients, the investigators remove both ovaries to increase a chance to obtain residual follicles. Also, in some cases, the investigators need to perform laparotomy, i.e. open surgery, depending on the patient's condition).
2. Quickly dissect ovarian cortex from the ovarian medulla and cut into small stripes. Histological analyses are performed using small parts of the ovarian stripes to find residual follicles.
3. Optional: Cryopreserve the ovarian stripes by a vitrification method. Two days before the day of reimplantation, thaw the ovarian stripes.
4. The ovarian stripes are cut into small cubes (1 x1 mm2). The ovarian cubes are cultured with medium containing drugs to activate dormant follicles for 2 days before transplantation. After washing, the cubes are transplanted beneath the membrane of both Fallopian tubes and the remaining ovary under laparoscopic surgery.
5. Monitor follicle growth by ultrasound and serum hormone assays. Once follicles reach \>16 mm in diameter, patients receive hCG, followed by egg retrieval in \~36 hours. Then the investigators will perform intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using the husband's sperm. When embryos reached the four-cell stage, they were cryopreserved, waiting for frozen-thaw embryo transfer.

II Current procedure:

Only superficial cut of the ovarian cortex by laparoscopy or laparotomy, without taking ovary outside or cultured with medium.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Married women (18-39) diagnosed with POI/ORS
* With both ovaries present
* With normal uterine cavity
* Healthy and can stand surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any one that does not meet the inclusion criteria

Primary outcomes:
measure: Clinical pregnancy
timeFrame: 1 year
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Follicle growth
timeFrame: 1 year
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Zhengzhou
country: China
facility: Reproductive Medical Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
state: Henan
Study officials:
affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
name: Yingpu Sun, MD,PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Zhai J, Yao G, Dong F, Bu Z, Cheng Y, Sato Y, Hu L, Zhang Y, Wang J, Dai S, Li J, Sun J, Hsueh AJ, Kawamura K, Sun Y. In Vitro Activation of Follicles and Fresh Tissue Auto-transplantation in Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Nov;101(11):4405-4412. doi: 10.1210/jc.2016-1589. Epub 2016 Aug 29.
citation: Donnez J, Martinez-Madrid B, Jadoul P, Van Langendonckt A, Demylle D, Dolmans MM. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation: a review. Hum Reprod Update. 2006 Sep-Oct;12(5):519-35. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dml032. Epub 2006 Jul 18.
citation: Li J, Kawamura K, Cheng Y, Liu S, Klein C, Liu S, Duan EK, Hsueh AJ. Activation of dormant ovarian follicles to generate mature eggs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jun 1;107(22):10280-4. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1001198107. Epub 2010 May 17.
citation: Kawamura K, Cheng Y, Suzuki N, Deguchi M, Sato Y, Takae S, Ho CH, Kawamura N, Tamura M, Hashimoto S, Sugishita Y, Morimoto Y, Hosoi Y, Yoshioka N, Ishizuka B, Hsueh AJ. Hippo signaling disruption and Akt stimulation of ovarian follicles for infertility treatment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Oct 22;110(43):17474-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1312830110. Epub 2013 Sep 30.