Gene banking and transplantation of (mammalian) ovarian tissue

The use of cryopreserved gonadal tissue to reconstitute breeds or breeding lines has been demonstrated in birds (Silversides et al., 2013; Liptoi et al., 2013) and mammals (e.g. Huang et al., 2010) as a highly effective, efficient method. For large domestic mammals, such as the pig, proof of principle needs to be demonstrated. We (Egerszegi et al., unpublished) have undertaken a small pilot experiment in which orthotopic homografting of fragments of juvenile pig ovaries into neonate ovariectomized recipient piglets was attempted. This attempt was not successful. The results of the study are briefly presented in this report. This report further presents a literature review to describe current possibilities in various mammalian species and to provide suggestions for potential future improvements of methods in pigs or other mammalian farm animal species.