Int. J. Dev. Biol. 59: 211 - 216 (2015)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.150172mz

Vol 59, Issue 4-5-6

3D culture of ovarian follicles: a system towards their engineering?

Technical Article | Published: 15 October 2015

Maurizio Zuccotti*^,1, Valeria Merico², Paola Rebuzzini², Martina Belli², Giulia Vigone², Francesca Mulas³, Lorenzo Fassina^3,4, Wasco Wruck⁵, James Adjaye^5,6, Riccardo Bellazzi³ and Silvia Garagna*^,2,4

¹Sezione di Anatomia, Istologia ed Embriologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali (S.Bi.Bi.T.), Università degli Studi di Parma, Italy, ²Laboratorio di Biologia dello Sviluppo, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie 'Lazzaro Spallanzani', Università degli Studi di Pavia, Italy, ³Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy, ⁴Centro di Ingegneria Tissutale, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Italy, ⁵Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany and ⁶Molecular Embryology and Aging Group, Department of Vertebrate Genomics. Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Infertility in women is a health priority. Designing a robust culture protocol capable of attaining complete follicle growth is an exciting challenge, for its potential clinical applications, but also as a model to observe and closely study the sequence of molecular events that lie behind the intricate relationship existing between the oocyte and surrounding follicle cells. Here, we describe the procedures used to maintain the ovarian follicle 3D architecture employing a variety of in vitro systems and several types of matrices. Collagen and alginate are the matrices that led to better results, including proof-of-concept of full-term development. Pioneer in its kind, these studies underlie the drawbacks encountered and the need for a culture system that allows more quantitative analyses and predictions, projecting the culture of the ovarian follicle into the realm of tissue engineering.

Keywords

Ovarian follicle, 3D culture, matrix, collagen, alginate, tissue engineering