Cryopreservation in Global Perspectives: Editors’ Thoughts

Cryopreservation and storage of reproductive cells and tissues have become an integral segment of the assisted reproductive technologies, especially by the shift occurred from the conventional slow-freezing methods to the current widely practiced ultrafast vitrification technique. The exponential increase in the number of IVF units worldwide along with the increasing number of frozen samples and banks poses many organizational and inventory challenges. The safety, legal environment, regulatory, and disposition issues of the stored samples also need to be taken care by the stakeholders. Recent advances in data management, machine learning, and automation are also paving ways to nullify many risk factors integral to the manual processes. The concerns regarding the obstetric, neonatal, and childhood diseases arising from the frozen-thawed embryo transfers as illustrated by recent literature also need to be addressed by the health and research professionals so that an evidence-based approach can be implemented.