Fertility News and Research

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Hormone treatment could cut need for chemo in some younger breast cancer patients

Around 5,500 pre-menopausal breast cancer patients could be offered a hormone drug that is shown to be as effective as traditional chemotherapy - and so avoid potential infertility and long-term menopausal side effects - according to a Cancer Research UK report published in The Lancet.

20 May 2007

Project aims to develop stem cell lines that genetically match human patients

These lines would allow scientists to better study conditions ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's disease, and they would provide the basis for potential patient-specific stem cell treatments.

17 May 2007

Methods for treating lupus nephritis

Good patient information is essential for choosing the best treatment for the kidney disease lupus nephritis.

17 May 2007

Female reproductive function is influenced by childhood environment

This suggests there is a critical window of time from about 0-8 years of age that determines the rate at which girls physically mature and how high their reproductive hormone levels reach as adults.

15 May 2007

Cornell University establishes Center for Reproductive Genomics

Cornell University has established the Center for Reproductive Genomics, which will combine basic research in reproductive sciences on Cornell's Ithaca campus with one of the country's leading fertility clinics at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) in New York City.

10 May 2007

It is highly unlikely that older women generate new eggs

Tilly reported the discovery of stem cells capable of migrating from bone marrow to mouse ovaries and generating new eggs there. The research fueled hopes that a new treatment - such as bone marrow transplantation - might one day help older women regain their fertility.

9 May 2007

Sperm from diabetic men have greater levels of DNA damage which may affect their fertility

In the first study to compare the quality of DNA in sperm from diabetic and non-diabetic men, researchers at Queen’s University Belfast showed that the DNA in the nuclei of the sperm cells had greater levels of fragmentation in diabetic men, and that there were more deletions of DNA in the tiny, energy-generating structures in the cells called mitochondria.

8 May 2007

Diabetes damages DNA in men's sperm and may affect fertility

Scientists have found that sperm from diabetic men have greater levels of DNA damage than sperm from men who do not have the disease.

4 May 2007

Wall Street Journal examines ethical questions, efficacy of fertility restoration technique involving freezing ovarian tissue

A technology that allows women to have ovarian tissue removed and transplanted back into their ovaries when they want to become pregnant is becoming an "intriguing option" for women who want to delay pregnancy, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Apr 2007

Many couples choose to donate surplus embryos for stem cell research

Nearly 50% of couples who were interviewed at least 3 years after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) chose to donate their surplus, stored embryos for stem cell research, according to a report by the Spanish Stem Cell Bank in an April 26, 2007, advanced online publication of Cell Stem Cell, a new publication of Cell Press in affiliation with the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

27 Apr 2007

Underlying causes of hot flashes

Many women in the menopausal transition experience hot flashes: unpredictable, sometimes disruptive, periods of intense heat in the upper torso, neck and face.

25 Apr 2007

Novel two-step mechanism ensures that all cilia beat in unison

Cilia, tiny hair-like structures that propel mucus out of airways, have to agree on the direction of the fluid flow to get things moving. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discovered a novel two-step mechanism that ensures that all cilia beat in unison.

24 Apr 2007