AREG study dataset

In vitro maturation (IVM) is a potential alternative to traditional in vitro fertilization (IVF) in specific patient groups. In IVM, immature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) are retrieved from small- and
medium-sized follicles before dominance is reached in the ovaries and then matured in vitro.One of the key milestones in small antral follicle development in mammals is the acquirement of EGF responsiveness. The accumulation of amphiregulin (the main EGF like ligand in the ovulatory cascade) in the follicular fluid (FF) was observed following a gonadotropin surge both in humans and rhesus monkeys. Amphiregulin has several roles, including increasing blastocyst rates and blastomere numbers and regulating the translation of maternal mRNA, which lays the foundation for early embryonic development. This study aims to explore the effects of amphiregulin supplementation in IVM medium in comparison to the routine meiotic trigger.Primary endpoint was oocyte maturation rate; secondary endpoint was embryo quality and IVM outcomes. In addition, relationships between expression of key genes in CCs from <6 mm follicles and maturation and fertility outcomes of their corresponding oocytes were determined.