Main description:

Cryopreservation methods have become well established as an increasingly important therapeutic strategy in assisted reproduction. Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction: A User's Manual and Trouble-shooting Guide addresses this cryopreservation technique from an academic and technical viewpoint, with specific reference to assisted reproduction in humans. Hence, two decades after the first publication on vitrification as an ice crystal-free cryopreservation method for embryos, this book fulfills the need for a book that considers this new and under-utilized cryopreservation technique in detail, outlining those techniques that result in success, and providing recommended means of overcoming the problems typically encountered.

The book covers a historical overview of the principles and development of vitrification techniques in animal and humans, the various consumables utilized for the vitrification of cells and tissue and suppliers thereof; the vitrification and warming technique for oocytes, sperm, pronuclear stage embryos, cleavage stage embryos, blastocysts, ovarian tissue and embryonic stem cells. Wherever applicable, the setting up including protocol, operation, maintenance and trouble-shooting of the different protocols used for vitrifying various stages of cells and tissues is also covered.

Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction is an invaluable textbook for clinical and reproductive medicine practitioners and ART specialists.

Contents:

1a. Vitrification: an overview 1b. Basic biophysics and thermodynamics of vitrification 2. Disadvantages and benefits of vitrification 3. Development of vitrification solutions 4a. Vitrification in animal reproduction: vitrification of embryos using open pulled straws 4b. Vitrification in animal reproduction: vitrification of embryos using conventional straws with ethylene glycol-based solutions 5. Cryoprotectant-freevitrification of spermatozoa. 6. Potential developmental consequences of cryopreservation of mammalian oocytes and embryos  7a. Vitrification of oocytes: general considerations and the use of the Cryotop method  7b. Vitrification of oocytes: various procedures 7c. Vitrification of oocytes using gold grid and slush nitrogen  7d. Vitrifying and warming of oocytes using Cryotop  8. Vitrification of pronuclear embryos 9. Vitrification of day 2-3 human embryos 10a. Vitrification of human embryos in straws, hemi-straws, and high security vitrification straws 10b. Vitrification of blastocysts: using the Cryoloop 10c. Vitrification of blastocysts using the electron microscope grid 10d. Vitrifying and warming of human blastocysts using the Cryotop 11a Vitrification of ovarian tissue 11b. Vitrification of ovarian tissue: organ recovery systems 12. Vitrification of human embryonic stem cells.