Abstract: The primordial follicle as the basic reproductive unit of women is the only form of oocyte reserve. The traditional view is that the number of oocytes no longer increases after birth. With the development, maturation and atresia of follicles, the oocytes are continuously depleted. Women with the declined ovarian function will go through the menopause. With the research progress of human stem cells, the application of stem cells in clinical treatment has become a reality. For example, the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has become an important treatment for those patients with blood system diseases such as leukemia. Recently, researchers have discovered mitotic germ cells in the ovary of adult mice. This kind of mitotic germ cell may be involved in oocyte regeneration, which is likely to be germline stem cells (GSCs). GSCs brings the hope of fertility preservation for those women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), premature ovarian failure (POF) and malignant tumors, and the hope of health maintenance for postmenopausal women. The research progress of GSCs and potential clinical application were reviewed in this paper.

Key words: Stem cells, oocyte, ovary, regeneration, therapy