In the latest issue of Human Reproduction, Israeli scientists report that they have successfully transplanted whole frozen and thawed ovaries in sheep, retrieved oocytes from these ovaries and triggered them in the laboratory into early embryonic development.

Lead author Dr Amir Arav, senior scientist at the Institute of animal Science, Agriculture Research Organisation, Bet Dagan, said that these results demonstrate for the first time that it is possible in a large animal species, to remove, freeze, thaw and replace ovaries, obtain oocytes and maintain normal ovarian long-term function. This holds out hope that this approach could become a feasible treatment for women facing premature ovarian failure, and furthermore, that the advances they have demonstrated from new freezing techniques may have potential for other human organ transplants, which are currently done using only fresh grafts.

The research was funded by Core Dynamics. Obviously the next goal was to attempt to transplant ovaries in women at risk of losing their fertility. But that's still a long way to go.

Read the report from The European Society for Human Reproduction or the article abstract here.