Transplantation of UC-MSCs in ovary improves ovarian function and intermediate outcomes in IVF/ICSI cycles of POI patients: a clinical cohort study
摘要
This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) transplantation on ovarian function in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), and its potential to improve in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes.
MethodsA clinical cohort study was conducted at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from 2019 to 2023. The study included POI patients who underwent either UC-MSC ovarian tissue injection or traditional IVF/ICSI-FET treatment. UC-MSCs were isolated from Wharton’s jelly of the umbilical cord, cultured, and transplanted into the ovaries of patients via transvaginal ultrasound-guided injection. The embryo freezing rate, number of oocytes retrieved, and ovarian function indicators (e.g., serum FSH levels, antral follicle count (AFC)) were compared between the UC-MSC-treated group and the traditional IVF/ICSI-FET group.
ResultsA total of 71 POI patients were included, with 43 in the UC-MSC group and 28 in the IVF/ICSI-FET control group. After treatment, the AFC in the UC-MSC group was significantly higher compared to the control group (3.86 ± 2.93 vs. 2.39 ± 1.66, p = 0.019). Furthermore, the number of oocytes retrieved in the initial controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COS) cycle following treatment was significantly greater in the UC-MSC group (1.88 ± 1.00 vs. 1.39 ± 1.13, p = 0.034). Patients undergoing UC-MSC treatment exhibited a substantial increase in the number of oocytes retrieved in their first COS cycle compared to their pre-treatment cycle (1.88 ± 1.00 vs. 1.28 ± 1.01, p = 0.007). Additionally, the number of frozen embryos significantly increased (0.74 ± 0.82 vs. 0.14 ± 0.41, p < 0.001), and the proportion of cycles resulting in frozen embryos was notably higher (55.81% vs. 11.63%, p < 0.001). Further Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed that genes expression in ovarian hormones and estrogen related signaling pathways were up-regulated following UC-MSCs therapy.
ConclusionUC-MSC ovarian tissue injection is a promising therapeutic strategy for improving clinical outcomes in IVF/ICSI cycles for women with POI. The use of UC-MSCs may offer a novel and effective alternative to conventional infertility treatments for POI patients, especially those seeking genetic offspring. Further studies are required to explore the long-term safety and efficacy of this treatment in larger, multi-center trials.
Graphical abstract