Hope for cancer patients: Bengaluru scientists explore way to save eggs lost inside the ovary

Bengaluru scientists aim to preserve fertility for cancer patients by developing a technique to save immature eggs in ovaries.

Scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP) in Bengaluru are working on a technique to save eggs that are naturally lost inside the ovary at an early stage, before they can ever be used for reproduction.  

If successful, the approach in the later stage could help preserve fertility in cancer patients by safeguarding eggs before treatment damages the ovaries. The same technology could also be used in animal breeding to produce more embryos from genetically valuable livestock, according to scientists. 

The research focuses on preantral follicles - tiny structures in the ovary that contain immature eggs. These eggs are usually lost as part of a natural process and never reach maturity.

Speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Artabandhu Sahoo, Director, ICAR-NIANP, said scientists are now trying to retrieve these immature eggs early, grow them in laboratory conditions, and use them to produce embryos.

At present, assisted reproduction techniques (ART) currently rely mainly on mature eggs, or already formed embryos, which limits how many embryos can be produced from a single animal. 

Dr. Sahoo explained that this is significant because more than 99.9% of eggs inside the ovary degenerate naturally. By tapping into this early-stage reserve of eggs, researchers could increase the number of eggs available for technologies, such as IVF and cloning, which require eggs to develop embryos. Growing these follicles in the lab also allows scientists to closely control the environment in which the eggs develop, helping improve their quality and survival.