Mitochondrial transfer from aged adipose-derived stem cells does not improve the quality of aged oocytes in C57BL/6 mice

Female fertility declines dramatically over the age of 35 due to age-related decreases in oocyte quality and quantity. Although mitochondrial transfer promises to be a technology that can improve the quality of such age-impaired oocytes, the ideal mitochondrial donor remains elusive. In the present study, we aimed to identify whether aged adipose-derived stem cells constitute an excellent mitochondrial donor that would improve the quality of aged mouse oocytes. We showed that aging significantly impaired the mitochondrial function in mouse oocytes, but did not significantly affect the mitochondrial function of adipose-derived stem cells. However, the mitochondrial transfer from aged adipose-derived stem cells did not mitigate the poor fertilization and embryonic development rates of aged oocytes.