Reproduction News and Research

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July issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The July issue of the WHO Bulletin features an editorial on meeting the challenges of women's health beyond reproduction;

2 Jul 2012

Number of babies born due to assisted reproduction technologies reaches 5 million

The number of babies born as a result of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) has reached an estimated total of 5 million since the world's first, Louise Brown, was born in July 1978. The figures will be presented this week at the 28th annual meeting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology), which begins today, 1st July, in Istanbul, Turkey.

2 Jul 2012

Ovarian grafts can produce hormones for more than 7 years

Transplanting previously frozen ovarian tissue back into female cancer survivors can lead to long-term hormonal function and preservation of fertility, according to a new study by Samuel Kim from the University of Kansas Medical Center in the US. His work-, which shows that hormonal function was restored in five women 12-20 weeks after transplantation, and in one case lasted for more than seven years, appears online in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics-, published by Springer.

29 Jun 2012

Prenatal exposure to PCBs impacts reproductive function in offspring

Prenatal exposure to the environmental contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, causes long-term changes to the developing brain that have adverse effects on reproductive function later in life, a new study finds. Results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

28 Jun 2012

BFC develops new Fertility App

Well in short the answer is yes if you are trying to conceive! And in this day and age where the smart phone is consulted over every aspect of day to day life, why shouldn't you rely on app to manage your love life as well! The Fertility App has been developed by Barbados Fertility Centre (BFC), a JCI accredited centre of excellence for IVF treatment located in the Caribbean and is the first app of its kind produced by a health care provider.

28 Jun 2012

Molecular determinant of implantation success uncovered

A signaling sequence initiated by the embryo and hinging on the epithelial Na+ channel leads to successful implantation, researchers report in Nature Medicine.

26 Jun 2012

Event highlights impact of AIDS on women worldwide

The Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog summarizes an event held Thursday, titled "AIDS-free Generation? Not Without Women," that was sponsored by the National Council of Women's Organizations. The session aimed "to draw attention to pivotal issues surrounding the impact of AIDS on women worldwide" ahead of the International AIDS Conference, the blog states.

26 Jun 2012

Authors propose mathematical model to study malaria transmission

Malaria affects over 200 million individuals every year and kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. The disease varies greatly from region to region in the species that cause it and in the carriers that spread it. It is easily transmitted across regions through travel and migration. This results in outbreaks of the disease even in regions that are essentially malaria-free, such as the United States.

21 Jun 2012

Study: Quirky fruit fly gene can help develop new weapons against cancer

Loyola University Chicago researchers are taking advantage of a quirk in the evolution of fruit fly genes to help develop new weapons against cancer.

15 Jun 2012

IVF linked to increased relapse rate among MS patients

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is linked to an increased rate of relapse among women with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggests a small study published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

12 Jun 2012

Children of older fathers inherit longer telomeres

If your father and grandfather waited until they were older before reproducing, you might experience life-extending benefits. Biologists assume that a slow pace of aging requires that the body invest more resources in repairing cells and tissues.

12 Jun 2012

Menopausal women with high oestradiol levels at greater risk of strokes

Women are less prone to cardiovascular disease then men; but this difference between the sexes becomes less marked after the menopause. This observation is behind a great deal of received wisdom, where oestrogen is assumed to have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels.

11 Jun 2012

Genes ‘choose only good eggs’ for IVF

Researchers have identified a technique that could help them “pick the right egg” for in vitro fertilization treatment.

8 Jun 2012

Phase III study of AFOLIA, a biosimilar r-FSH meets its endpoint

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6 Jun 2012

Religious practices more successful at promoting certainty about paternity

Religious practices that strongly control female sexuality are more successful at promoting certainty about paternity, according to a study published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

5 Jun 2012

Researchers identify chromosomal make-up of human eggs

In a groundbreaking study, Yale School of Medicine researchers and colleagues at the University of Oxford have identified the chromosomal make-up of a human egg. This discovery may soon allow them to avoid using abnormal - or aneuploid - eggs during infertility treatments, and instead to pick eggs that are healthy enough for a successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle.

2 Jun 2012

Despite progress, more effort 'urgently' needed to prevent maternal mortality in Africa

Citing a U.N. report released in May, titled "Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010," which shows "the number of women worldwide dying of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications has almost halved in the last 20 years," Agnes Odhiambo, a researcher for women in Africa at Human Rights Watch, writes in this Inter Press Service opinion piece.

31 May 2012

Breakthrough in understanding the causes of unexplained male infertility

The diagnosis of male fertility is usually performed through the observation of the sperm in the microscope. However, a normal quality semen does not guarantee an adequate fertility. In fact, there is a considerable proportion of cases of unexplained infertility and data suggest that abnormal sperm function may have a genetic or molecular origin.

24 May 2012

Researchers separate low and high-PSA prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer cells that defy treatment and display heightened tumor-generating capacity can be identified by levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) expressed in the tumor cells, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the May 3 edition of Cell Stem Cell.

7 May 2012

FANCM gene plays key role in recombination of genetic information during inheritance

Scientists of KIT and the University of Birmingham have identified relevant new functions of a gene that plays a crucial role in Fanconi anemia, a life-threatening disease. The FANCM gene is known to be important for the stability of the genome.

30 Apr 2012