CLINICAL ELECTRON MICROSCOPY IN THE STUDY OF HUMAN OVARIAN TISSUES

Abstract

Electron microscopy (EM) is a revolutionary imaging technique for obtaining high-resolution images

of biological specimens in many fields, including the study of human ovarian tissues. EM, can be a

powerful tool in many clinical fields, such as in therapeutic procedures for infertility. The success of

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), for example, is closely related to oocyte's quality, whose

morphological features can be evaluated by EM to understand if the oocyte is mature, healthy and

prone to fecundation. Moreover, EM studies are useful to demonstrate the responsiveness of the

ovarian cells to environmental toxicants. EM can also be the starting point for the study of the release

of extracellular vesicles from human ovarian cancer cells. These structures represent an attractive

target of studies aimed at identifying clinically useful markers for liquid biopsies. This paper

summarizes the potential applications of EM in ART and ovarian pathologies and its clinical

implications