Vitrification preserves murine ovarian follicular cell transcriptome in a 3D encapsulatedin vitrofollicle growth system

Dear editor, Vitrification is a method for long-term biological sample cryopreservation that transforms cells into a glass-like state by cooling without causing intra- and extra-cellular ice formation, which is a major driver of cell cryoinjury. Compared to slow freezing, another conventional cryopreservation method, vitrification is simple, cost-effective and does not require a complex programmable freezer [1]. Vitrification has been increasingly used to cryopreserve gametes and embryos for fertility preservation in assisted reproductive technology (ART) [2]. Moreover, vitrification of individual follicles followed by in vitro maturation (IVM) has emerged as a new fertility preservation method, particularly for childhood cancer patients who have no mature oocytes available for harvesting and for patients who cannot undergo ovarian tissue transplantation after cryopreservation because of the risk of reintroducing malignant cells [3]. However, vitrification of individual follicles has been challenging because intact follicles have a more complex structure and...