The world’s first birth using a special type of in vitro maturation, involving the use of ovarian support cells, has been reported. Although data is limited, this method might one day revolutionize the way IVF cycles are performed.
In vitro maturation (IVM) is a process where immature eggs are retrieved and matured in a lab for fertilization. This method usually requires less medication, making it a cost-effective and safer option for those at risk of OHSS. While IVM is often seen as experimental, it offers an alternative to full ovarian stimulation protocols.
One of the newer ways to perform IVM involves the use of ovarian support cells, or OSCs. OSCs are similar to cells in the follicle and can help the egg grow.
Gameto, a biotechnology company, recently announced the world’s first live human birth using its OSC technology, Fertilo, at the Santa Isabel Clinic in Lima, Peru.
According to their website, a typical Fertilo cycle involves about 3 days of ovarian stimulation to obtain immature eggs. These immature eggs are then matured outside the body using ovarian support cells (OSCs), then fertilized to form embryos for freezing or transfer.
This is in contrast to the ~2 weeks of ovarian stimulation needed to obtain mature eggs during a conventional ovarian stimulation cycle.
The OSCs used to mature the immature eggs were described in a series of papers published last year, which I reviewed in my post New in vitro maturation (IVM) technique from stem cell-derived ovarian support cells.
These OSCs are made by using human stem cells. Stem cells are cells that are unspecialized and can be converted into a variety of different cell types, such as neurons or skin cells. Using the right combination of factors, researchers were able to turn human stem cells into OSCs. OSCs produce estradiol and progesterone, and have properties that are similar to cells in the follicle that nurture the egg cell to help it grow.
Previous studies have compared OSC-IVM to regular IVM and found that OSC-IVM produced more mature eggs that were more likely to fertilize, form blastocysts and test as euploid. The protocol typically involves mixing immature eggs with OSCs for about a day, then fertilizing the mature eggs.
This type of system has a number of benefits:
- Fewer hormone injections are needed during ovarian stimulation to obtain immature eggs (3 days). This results in lower costs, better patient experience (with fewer injections), quicker embryo production, and reduced OHSS risk.
- Although there’s no evidence (as far as I know), this process might overcome some aspects of age on egg quality.
- Immature eggs that are retrieved after standard ovarian stimulation cycles could be made mature with OSCs. Using OSCs might lead to better outcomes compared to rescue IVM methods currently in use, where immature eggs are simply left to incubate overnight (read more about that in my post Culturing immature eggs overnight by rescue IVM increases number of euploids in cycle).
This is the first birth using this technology, and I don’t think there’s any long-term safety data or clear evidence of its effectiveness compared to conventional ovarian stimulation methods. However, if it proves successful, OSCs could change how IVF is done. Provided that it’s affordable, of course!
According to Gameto’s press release, Gameto has secured regulatory clearance in Australia, Japan, Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico, and Peru. In the US, Gameto is preparing for Phase 3 clinical trials. It looks like Gameto has partnered with several IVF clinics across the US, which you can check at the bottom of this page on Gameto’s site.
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About Embryoman
Embryoman (Sean Lauber) is a former embryologist and the founder of Remembryo, an IVF research and fertility education website. After working in an IVF lab in the US, he returned to Canada and now focuses on making fertility research more accessible. He holds a Master’s in Immunology and launched Remembryo in 2018 to help patients and professionals make sense of IVF research. Sean shares weekly study updates on Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit regularly. He also answers questions on Reddit or in his private Facebook group.
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New in vitro maturation (IVM) technique from stem cell-derived ovarian support cells
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Immature eggs cultured overnight by rescue IVM show promising IVF outcomes
Culturing immature eggs overnight by rescue IVM increases number of euploids in cycle
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