ABSTRACT
Although embryo cryopreservation is a very advantageous technique for couples resorting to assisted reproduction therapies, its routine use has also resulted in a series of ethical, legal, and religious constrains related to embryo storage and/or discarding. Some countries have limited or even outlawed its use, stressing the need for alternative approaches. Despite these restrictive decisions for infertile couples, basic investigation at the cryobiology level has been continuously addressed, leading to new possibilities for female patients wishing to preserve their fertility potential. At the same time, oocyte banking has become a tangible option not only for human oocyte donation (1), but also to help maintain, in a safe and effi cient manner, the diversity of organisms that are rare, endangered, or bred for agricultural or medicinal value (2).
