Reproduction News and Research

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Non-invasive MR Spectroscopy to determine ability to be fathers

Men with no sperm in their ejaculate—a condition known as azoospermia—may no longer need invasive procedures to determine if they have sperm in their testes according to a new study published in Human Reproduction.

5 Feb 2010

NPR examines Obama administration's global family planning policies

NPR's "Morning Edition" examines how global family planning fits into the Obama administration's global health policy. "The administration has already restored funding for the United Nations Population ... Fund, which for eight years received no U.S. support. And in his first week, President Obama lifted an executive order that existed in the Reagan and Bush administrations that prohibited U.S.-funded programs from providing information about abortion services," according to NPR.

4 Feb 2010

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

Nectar of almond tree produces amygdalin

The nectar of the almond tree produces an extraordinary and dangerous poison. This is the only known plant to have this poison in its flowers' nectar. A study carried out at the University of Haifa has revealed that bees are mysteriously drawn to the toxic substance.

29 Jan 2010

Scientists discover mechanism that regulates prolactin hormone

A mechanism for regulating the hormone prolactin has newly been revealed by scientists at Karolinska Institutet. The results are to be published in the scientific journal Neuron, and may be significant for conditions and functions such as breast-feeding, sexual libido, and metabolism.

28 Jan 2010

Special issue explores how evolution can help doctors understand and treat diseases

What does evolution - a field that often deals with changes over many generations - have to do with preventing and treating disease in our lifetime?

28 Jan 2010

Adipose tissue, a promising new source of HSPCs

Bone marrow is a leading source of adult stem cells, which are increasingly used for research and therapeutic interventions, but extracting the cells is an arduous and often painful process. Now, researchers have found evidence that fat tissue, known as adipose tissue, may be a promising new source of valuable and easy-to-obtain regenerative cells called hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), according to astudy prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

28 Jan 2010

Sexual reproduction leads to lesser accumulation of harmful DNA mutations than asexual reproduction

Living organisms have good reason for engaging in sexual, rather than asexual, reproduction according to Maurine Neiman, assistant professor of biology in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and researcher in the Roy J. Carver Center for Genomics.

22 Jan 2010

Study links thyroid disease with human exposure to PFOA

A study by the University of Exeter and the Peninsula Medical School for the first time links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA is a persistent organic chemical used in industrial and consumer goods including nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics.

21 Jan 2010

New Life Agency announces creation of nation's first IVF insurance program

New Life Agency, Inc. today announced that it has joined forces with New Jersey-based The Diamond Institute IVF Center and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy to create the nation's first IVF insurance program. The Assisted Reproduction Care (ARC) Insurance Program(SM) offers patients suffering from infertility feasible financial solutions for the ever-rising costs of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments, procedures and fertility medications.

20 Jan 2010

Gently rocking embryos during IVF may improve success rates

Gently rocking embryos while they grow during in vitro fertilization (IVF) improves pregnancy rates in mice by 22 percent, new University of Michigan research shows. The procedure could one day lead to significantly higher IVF success rates in humans.

20 Jan 2010

Impact of life style factors on natural and medically assisted reproduction

The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has published a position statement on the impact of the life style factors obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption on natural and medically assisted reproduction.

20 Jan 2010

Symposium to discuss strategies for prevention and treatment of infertility announced

ESHRE invites you to attend its campus symposium on 'Prevention and treatment of infertility in modern society'.

19 Jan 2010

Effects of obesity, smoking and drinking on natural and medically assisted reproduction

19 Jan 2010

New procedure could lead to higher IVF success rates in humans

19 Jan 2010

Organization of the brain's dictionary

Two hundred years ago, archaeologists used the Rosetta Stone to understand the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Now, a team of Carnegie Mellon University scientists has discovered the beginnings of a neural Rosetta Stone. By combining brain imaging and machine learning techniques, neuroscientists Marcel Just and Vladimir Cherkassky and computer scientists Tom Mitchell and Sandesh Aryal determined how the brain arranges noun representations. Understanding how the brain codes nouns is important for treating psychiatric and neurological illnesses.

18 Jan 2010

Hands on course on derivation and culture of pluripotent stem cells

ESHRE invites you to attend its workshop on 'Update on pluripotent stem cells (hESC and iPS)' followed by a hands on course on 'Derivation and culture of pluripotent stem cells'.

18 Jan 2010

Bone marrow transplantation survivors can father children: new study says

Men who were previously deemed sterile due to aggressive cancer treatments may still be able to biologically father children according to a new study published in the journal, Bone Marrow Transplantation.

18 Jan 2010

Experts to present latest research findings on reproductive medicine at ESHRE 26th annual meeting

Reproductive medicine is one of the most exciting scientific and clinical areas. Every month different announcements of research developments, medical 'firsts', new rulings by regulatory bodies, or ethical controversies are published and often spark a heated debate among practitioners in the field, as well as ethicists, legislators, the media and the public.

12 Jan 2010

Ongoing pressures of human evolution could explain rise in disorders; scientists call for broader perspective

The subtle but ongoing pressures of human evolution could explain the seeming rise of disorders such as autism, autoimmune diseases, and reproductive cancers, researchers write in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

12 Jan 2010