Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for JCM Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advances in Fertility Preservation

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Obstetrics & Gynecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 2610

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Dunja Maria Baston-Büst

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (UniKiD), University of Duesseldorf Medical Center, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Interests: assisted reproductive techniques; embryology; endocrinology; assisted reproductive technology; embryo implantation; implantation; immunology; immunohistochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many female and male patients face gonadotoxic treatment during childhood, juvenescence, or adolescence, usually including recidives or a surgery for benign reasons. Fortunately, new treatment options improve the survival rate, but less is known about the possible risk of infertility after the modern treatment regimes. Furthermore, transgender medicine is a new field in fertility preservation. Moreover, the imitation of puberty in cell culture models and mimicking the development of follicles or testis in vitro is still challenging next to culturing GV-oocytes in maturation protocols. A new approach might include use of ovarian tissue that was cryopreserved in young years to circumvent menopausal complaints after the transplantation of ovarian cortex strips.

In this Special Issue, we welcome authors to submit papers on the basic and clinical advances of fertility preservation in terms of research, treatment, and new techniques.

Dr. Dunja Maria Baston-Büst
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

fertility preservation
gonadotoxic treatment
chemotherapy
transgender
cryopreservation
ejaculate
testicular tissue
mature oocytes
immature oocytes
ovarian tissue
ovarian cortex

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 3346 KB

Open AccessArticle

Transport Time Does Not Substantially Alter RNA Expression in Human Ovarian Tissue After Standardized Slow-Freezing for Fertility Preservation

by Iwona Scheliga, Jana Bender-Liebenthron, Jan-Steffen Kruessel, Alexandra Knebel, Dunja M. Baston-Buest and Alexandra P. Bielfeld

J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(9), 3260; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15093260 - 24 Apr 2026

Viewed by 156

Abstract

Background: Fertility preservation aims to maintain reproductive potential in patients undergoing potentially gonadotoxic treatments, increasingly relying on centralized cryobanks requiring ovarian tissue transport. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is a widely implemented, evidence-based procedure for young women (age 18–35) with a regular ovarian reserve. The ovaries of patients are typically transported overnight to a centralized cryobank for freezing and storage, using a certified hypothermic organ preservation solution such as histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) at 4–8 °C. The molecular effects of transport on ovarian tissue remain unclear. Methods: In this prospective study of 36 breast cancer patients, we compared whole-transcriptome RNA (RNA-seq) expression in 18 frozen–thawed ovarian biopsies after overnight hypothermic transport followed by slow-freezing versus 18 direct slow-freezing within ≤2 h under FertiPROTEKT-standard conditions. Results: The RNA-seq analysis identified 6 significantly upregulated genes (Bonferroni < 0.05, fold change > 1.5), including histone H2B and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 (MT-ND6). The small number of differentially expressed genes suggests only limited transcriptional changes between the two transport conditions. H2B upregulation was confirmed by qPCR, while MT-ND6 showed only moderate levels in RNA-seq but remained stable in qPCR. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed protein presence and localization in formalin-fixed tissue from four samples, constituting, to our knowledge, the first report of MT-ND6 protein expression in human ovarian tissue. Conclusions: Overall, these results are consistent with subtle changes in chromatin organization and mitochondrial energy metabolism. Since RNA-seq revealed only modest differences in gene expression, with no appreciable up- or downregulation of apoptosis- or damage-related genes after ≤24 h, this indicates tissue stability under the studied combined conditions (transport + cryopreservation). These findings are consistent with the feasibility of the workflow under the studied conditions of centralized ovarian tissue cryobanking combined with overnight transportation and hypothermic HTK solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fertility Preservation)

21 pages, 1899 KB

Open AccessArticle

Photodynamic Therapy Efficacy of the Human Papillomavirus-Related Cervical Lesions

by Alexander Dushkin, Tatyana Grishacheva, Stanislav Afanasiev, Irina Dushkina, Alexander Karaulov, Elena Biryukova, Akmaral Khangeldi, Kristina Babayan, Nasrula Shanazarov and Maxim Afanasiev

J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(4), 1596; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15041596 - 19 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 784

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This study aims to fill certain knowledge gaps by assessing the clinical effectiveness of PDT in a large group of women with HPV-related cervical lesions and examining how different patient factors affect treatment results. Methods: A total of 811 women aged from 19 to 76 were retrospectively analyzed who were treated by PDT of HPV infection with atypical squamous cells and HPV-related cervical lesions. PDT was performed using chlorin e6-based systemic photosensitizers. Irradiation was carried out at 662 nm. The endocervical dose was 334 J/cm², and the ectocervical dose was 291 J/cm². Results: Overall HPV clearance was 91.1%, lesion remission was 95.3%, and complete response was 88.3%, with the highest complete response observed in the HSIL group compared with HPV-positive ASCs. Multivariable models showed that multiple HPV infection (especially >3 genotypes) and pregnancy history were associated with lower odds of complete response, while younger age (18–25 years) and TZ2 were associated with higher odds of complete response. Conclusions: PDT using chlorin e6-based photosensitizers demonstrated high clinical and virological effectiveness across HPV-related cervical abnormalities, including HSIL, supporting its role as an organ-preserving treatment option. Multiple HPV genotypes and pregnancy history may identify patients at increased risk of partial response and warrant closer follow-up or tailored treatment strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fertility Preservation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1011 KB

Open AccessArticle

Interest in Fertility Preservation Among Adults Seen at a Gender Care Clinic

by Quinnette Jones, Scott M. Carlson, Shilpi Agrawala, Andrew Weinhold, Heather E. Parnell, Katelyn M. Holliday and Carly E. Kelley

J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(17), 6175; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14176175 - 1 Sep 2025

Viewed by 1113

Abstract

Introduction/Background: Medical treatments received by transgender and/or gender diverse (TGD) people can impact fertility, yet the literature lacks data on factors that influence fertility decisions among TGD people. Specific Aim(s): This study aimed to identify predictors of interest in fertility preservation (IFP). Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study utilized data from 2021–2023 from an adult gender registry for patients receiving care at academic medical center (n = 206). Patient demographic data and survey responses to questions about fertility were queried and analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using logistic regression. Results: Most patients (73.8%, n = 152) were not interested in fertility preservation (FP) and 16.5% (n = 34) were unsure. Reasons most often cited were not wanting biological children (55.9%, n = 104), preferring adoption (20.4%, n = 38), cost (19.9%, n = 37), and dysphoria (19.4%, n = 36). Bivariate analyses showed that increasing age, being married, and already having children were significantly inversely associated with IFP (p = 0.03, 0.01, 0.02, respectively). Non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity (OR (95% CI): 3.43 (1.19, 9.84)) and disability or unemployment (OR (95% CI): 4.19 (1.42, 13.00)) were significantly associated with IFP vs. Non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity and full-time employment, respectively. In multivariate models, being married was significantly inversely associated with IFP, e.g., OR (95% CI): 0.30, (0.07, 0.99), when accounting for age and already having children. Race/ethnicity and employment comparisons remained significant after adjusting for other factors. Conclusions: Most patients did not desire FP. Among those IFP, potential predictors include age, marital status, already having children, race and ethnicity, and employment and disability status. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fertility Preservation)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advances in Fertility Preservation

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI