Graafian follicle of the human<unk>  An<unk>  is a potential fertility preservation treatment that aims to mimic the function of the natural<unk> . Conventional fertility preservation for females involves oocyte cryopreservation or<unk> an tissue cryopreservation. However, there are drawbacks to these treatments. Oocyte cryopreservation is not possible for those with pre-pubertal cancer or premature<unk> an insufficiency.<unk> an tissue cryopreservation also poses a risk of reintroducing malignant cells after cancer recovery, particular in those with previous leukaemia.<unk> es could be an effective alternative in fertility preservation. The<unk>  aims to replicate its natural counterpart by producing oocytes and releasing steroid hormones. To date, no human oocytes have been fertilised or used to produce offspring using an<unk>  and it is unlikely that this will occur until further research has been completed and bioethical concerns have been considered. Ideally, the<unk>  should contain follicles or oocytes obtained from<unk> an tissue cryopreservation, as well as other<unk> an cells to provide growth factors. Isolated follicles are then transplanted (either at the normal site of the<unk>  or elsewhere in the body) in a delivery scaffold. An ideal biocompatible scaffold would cause minimal inflammation, be suitable for neo‐angiogenesis, and degrade after transplantation. There are some limitations to<unk> es. From an ethical perspective, there is the issue of justice of who would qualify to receive<unk> es (except in autologous transplant) as there is limited availability. There is also a bioethical concerns around pre-implantation diagnosis and genetic manipulation of<unk> es. If a patient's own<unk> an tissue is used for generating<unk> es, the risk of reintroducing malignancy is still present, although this risk would be lowered if only oocytes were used. One area of future research in this field will look at the source of oocytes for<unk> es. There is potential for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to be used as an alternative source to a patient's own gametes. Although this has not yet been tested with human stem cells, mice transplanted with these cells were able to successfully reproduce through in vitro maturation and fertilisation. However, human iPSCs are known to have mitochondrial DNA mutations even when isolated from healthy donors, therefore there is still more work to be done with this area.
Artificial ovary
Penile implant
Prosthetic testicle
Spermarche
Adrenarche
Testicular sperm extraction
Chemical castration
Ovarian stimulation