Methods of preserving functionality of an organ, preserving fertility of a patient undergoing a treatment expected to cause sterility and assuring a supply of viable gametes for future use

Abstract

A method of preserving functionality of an organ is disclosed herein, including removing a whole organ including vasculature from a donor, cryo-preserving the whole organ including vasculature, thawing the whole organ including vasculature so that at least a portion of cells contained therein resume biological activity, and introducing the whole organ including vasculature into a recipient so that a blood vessel in the vasculature is supplied with blood. Further disclosed herein is a method of preserving fertility of a patient undergoing a treatment expected to cause sterility, including removing at least one whole gonadal organ including vasculature from the patient, preserving functionality of the gonadal organ as described herein, conducting the treatment and waiting for an effect thereof to subside, and introducing the gonadal organ into the patient.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method of preserving fertility of a patient undergoing a treatment expected to cause sterility, the method comprising:
 (a) removing at least one whole ovary including vasculature from the patient;   (b) cryo-preserving said at least one whole ovary including vasculature;   (c) conducting the treatment and waiting for an effect thereof to subside;   (d) thawing said at least one whole ovary including vasculature so that at least a portion of cells contained therein resume biological activity; and   (e) introducing at least one whole ovary including vasculature into the patient and re-anastomising the at least one whole ovary.   
     
     
         19 . A method of preserving a whole human ovary, comprising:
 a. freezing the whole human ovary including vasculature; and   b. thawing the whole human ovary including vasculature to obtain a thawed whole human ovary, such that after thawing at least a portion of cells contained in the ovary resume biological activity and a blood vessel present in the vasculature is in a state to permit its supply with blood by a vasculature belonging to an ovary recipient,   wherein the thawed whole human ovary including vasculature is suitable for transplantation and re-anastomosis in the ovary recipient.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said freezing comprises moving the ovary through a predetermined temperature gradient. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising initiating crystallization at a predetermined position within said gradient to propagate an ice interphase. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the temperature gradient terminates at a temperature of no more than −30° C. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said freezing comprises cooling ovary tissue at a rate in a range of from 0.03 to 1.5° C./minute. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said freezing comprises perfusing the ovary including vasculature with a solution comprising a cryoprotectant and placing the ovary in a solution comprising a cryoprotectant. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said biological activity is characterized by an ability to fulfill at least one function selected from the group consisting of oogenesis, supply of a hormone, and metabolism of a precursor into an end product. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein thawing comprises warming the whole human ovary at a temperature of between 38° C.-40° C. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said preserving further comprises storing the whole human ovary at a temperature in a range of −14° C. to −196° C. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising transplanting and re-anastomising the thawed whole human ovary in the ovary recipient such that the ovary is supplied with blood by the vasculature system of the ovary recipient. 
     
     
         29 . A method of preserving a whole human ovary, comprising:
 a. freezing the whole human ovary; and   b. thawing the whole human ovary to obtain a thawed whole human ovary, such that after said thawing at least a portion of cells contained therein resume biological activity,   wherein a ratio of live ovarian follicles to dead ovarian follicles in said thawed whole human ovary is at least 18/37.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said freezing comprises moving the ovary through a predetermined temperature gradient. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising initiating crystallization at a predetermined position within said gradient to propagate an ice interphase. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the temperature gradient terminates at a temperature of no more than −30° C. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said freezing comprises cooling ovary tissue at a rate in a range of from 0.03 to 1.5° C./minute. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said freezing comprises perfusing the ovary including vasculature with a solution comprising a cryoprotectant and placing the ovary in a solution comprising a cryoprotectant. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said biological activity is characterized by an ability to fulfill at least one function selected from the group consisting of oogenesis, supply of a hormone, and metabolism of a precursor into an end product. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein thawing comprises warming the whole human ovary at a temperature of between 38° C.-40° C. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said preserving further comprises storing the whole human ovary at a temperature in a range of −14° C. to −196° C.