Biphasic IVM Low Oxygen Study

In vitro maturation (IVM) is a patient-friendly alternative assisted reproductive technology with reduced (or no) exogenous gonadotropin administration and absent ovulatory trigger. The target IVM patient population includes women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), resistant ovary syndrome, and selected oncofertility patients requesting fertility preservation. Biphasic IVM is a novel IVM system with two-culture steps, pre-maturation and IVM. During pre-maturation, initiation of oocyte meiosis is prevented using C-type natriuretic peptide, leading to synchronized oocyte cytoplasmic and nuclear maturation. Although biphasic IVM is superior to standard IVM, its efficiency is still lower than conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). Given the large patient population that could benefit from biphasic IVM, it is imperative to develop culture strategies to improve the system. As O2 is one of the essential elements of the oocyte microenvironment, its concentration is of paramount importance for oocyte quality. However, there is no consensus on the optimal IVM culture O2 tension. Therefore, in this study, we focus on optimizing culture O2 tensions to further improve the developmental potential of biphasic IVM.