Reproduction News and Research

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Germ cell removal may promote longevity

The gonad is well known to be important for reproduction but also affects animal life span. Removal of germ cells - the sperm and egg producing cells - increases longevity of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms were a mystery. Now scientists at the Cologne-based Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, have discovered that germ cell removal flips a "molecular switch" that extends the life span by using components of a "developmental clock".

18 Dec 2012

Unisense FertiliTech announces new partnership with William Demant Invest

Danish medtech company Unisense FertiliTech A/S announces a new partnership with Oticon Funds investment company William Demant Invest (WDI). WDI owns 32% of Unisense FertiliTech A/S after the purchase of new and existing shares in the company worth 24 million USD.

13 Dec 2012

Study identifies KNDy neurons as a likely control switch of hot flushes

Hot flushes affect millions of people, and not just women. Yet, it is still unclear what causes the episodes of temperature discomfort, often accompanied by profuse sweating.

12 Dec 2012

Researchers examine impact of exercise on mare reproductive health and embryo transfer

In the latest issue of the Journal of Animal Science, researchers at Clemson University and the University of Florida examine the impact of exercise on mare reproductive health and embryo transfer.

6 Dec 2012

Study provides important data about fertility window of women with childhood cancer

This study provided important data about the fertility window of women who had suffered from childhood cancer and information concerning the associated risk factors, but did not confirm the greater risk of premature menopause (before the age of 40) that was reported by the American studies.

5 Dec 2012

Major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a major advance in understanding how flu viruses replicate within infected cells. The researchers used cutting-edge molecular biology and electron-microscopy techniques to "see" one of influenza's essential protein complexes in unprecedented detail. The images generated in the study show flu virus proteins in the act of self-replication, highlighting the virus's vulnerabilities that are sure to be of interest to drug developers.

23 Nov 2012

Potential to reduce preterm births ‘shockingly small’

If developed countries were to successfully implement five preventive interventions, only a 5% relative reduction in the preterm birth rate could be achieved by 2015, shows a study published by The Lancet.

16 Nov 2012

Men with wider variation in sperm length have fertility problems

Perhaps variety is the very spice of life, but as a matter of producing human life, it could be the bane of existence. That's the indication of a new study in the journal Human Reproduction that found men with wider variation in sperm length, particularly in the flagellum, had lower concentrations of sperm that could swim well. Those with more consistently made sperm seemed to have more capable ones.

14 Nov 2012

Like mother’s menopause, like daughter’s fertility decline

A mother’s age at menopause may dictate when her daughter’s fertility will decline, suggests research.

13 Nov 2012

Auto-injector developed for women undergoing fertility treatment

A new auto-injector concept has been designed by innovative product development firm Cambridge Consultants in a bid to ease the trauma for women undergoing fertility treatment.

12 Nov 2012

Early clues regarding progression of Alzheimer's disease found in brain's metabolism

When it comes to Alzheimer's disease, scientists usually - and understandably - look to the brain as their first center of attention. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University say that early clues regarding the progression of the disease can be found in the brain's metabolism.

8 Nov 2012

Oskar gene emerged far earlier in insect evolution than previously believed

Harvard scientists have solved the long-standing mystery of how some insects form the germ cells - the cellular precursors to the eggs and sperm necessary for sexual reproduction - and the answer is shedding new light on the evolutionary origins of a gene that had long been thought to be critical to the process.

2 Nov 2012

Physically active men produce better semen quality

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Cordoba links moderate physical activity in males with better hormone levels and sperm characteristics that favour reproduction compared to sedentary men.

1 Nov 2012

SSRIs should be prescribed with great caution to those attempting to get pregnant

Elevated risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, neonatal health complications and possible longer term neurobehavioral abnormalities, including autism, suggest that a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) should only be prescribed with great caution and with full counseling for women experiencing depression and attempting to get pregnant, say researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center and MetroWest Medical Center.

31 Oct 2012

Pins made of single atoms to fight cancer

Answers are often elusive in the fight against cancer, and Rice University chemist Zachary Ball is hoping to pin one down -- with pins made of single atoms. The work, which aims to create a drug that's effective against an "undruggable" protein, is one of the first 50 proposals funded under the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Provocative Questions Project.

31 Oct 2012

SSRIs should be prescribed with great caution to those attempting to get pregnant

31 Oct 2012

IVF process negatively impacts women’s sexual relationships

An Indiana University study has found that women undergoing in-vitro fertilization report that the process of infertility treatment has many negative impacts on their sexual relationship with their partner. Little attention has been given to the sexual dynamics of couples as they navigate infertility and treatments such as IVF, despite the important role that sex plays in a couple's attempt to conceive a child.

30 Oct 2012

Meat from wild animals is increasingly important in central Africa

Animals like antelope, frogs and rodents may be tricky to catch, but they provide protein in places where traditional livestock are scarce. According to the authors of a new paper in Animal Frontiers, meat from wild animals is increasingly important in central Africa.

25 Oct 2012

TSRI scientists to study structural rules that govern nuclear receptors

A consortium of scientists from both campuses of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has been awarded $2.7 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health to study the structural rules that govern a large superfamily of proteins that help regulate critical functions such as reproduction, development and metabolism.

24 Oct 2012

Ectopic pregnancy may limit number of subsequent pregnancies

Women whose first pregnancy is ectopic have fewer children in the 20–30 years afterward than those whose first pregnancy ends in a birth, miscarriage, or abortion, show study findings.

19 Oct 2012