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"Jumping genes" within eggs determine their survival

Females are born with a finite supply of eggs and with age the genetic quality of the eggs decline say researchers from Carnegie Institute. The study from researchers Marla Tharp, Safia Malki, and Alex Bortvin was published in the latest issue of Nature Communications. The study was titled, “Maximizing the ovarian reserve in mice by evading LINE-1 genotoxicity.”

16 Jan 2020

Research shows how the body tries to eliminate egg cells of poorest quality

A woman's supply of eggs is finite, so it is crucial that the quality of their genetic material is ensured. New work from Carnegie's Marla Tharp, Safia Malki, and Alex Bortvin elucidates a mechanism by which, even before birth, the body tries to eliminate egg cells of the poorest quality.

16 Jan 2020

Women who have more sex less likely to have early menopause

Women who have sex more are at a reduced risk of experiencing early menopause, a new study found. The new finding raises the possibility of lifestyle practices as a predictor of when menopause will occur.

15 Jan 2020

American women drinking more, and dying much more often, as a result

A new study released by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports a horrifying 85% increase in deaths among women related to the use of alcohol. To put this in concrete terms, about 7,600 women died this way in 1999, but 18 years later, in 2017, the number was over 18,000. Not only is alcohol claiming the lives of more women, but women tend to be harmed more by this substance, in the form of higher rates of cancer and heart disease.

13 Jan 2020

First-ever genomic analysis of puberty yields insights into critical areas of human health

In the first-ever genome-scale analysis of the puberty process in humans, researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah outline distinct and critical changes to stem cells in males during adolescence.

9 Jan 2020

New study finds zinc and folic acid supplements are ineffective at improving male fertility

A study has revealed that taking zinc and folic acid supplements do not improve male fertility as has previously been suspected.

8 Jan 2020

Report highlights steady 26-year decline in overall cancer mortality

The cancer death rate declined by 29% from 1991 to 2017, including a 2.2% drop from 2016 to 2017, the largest single-year drop in cancer mortality ever reported.

8 Jan 2020

Zinc and folic acid supplements fail to improve fertility in men

Zinc and folic acid, a pair of dietary supplements long touted as an effective treatment for male infertility, failed to improve pregnancy rates, sperm counts, and sperm potency in a new study conducted at University of Utah Health and other medical centers in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health.

7 Jan 2020

Scientists map the location of structural proteins in pig ovary for the first time

For the first time, scientists identified and mapped the location of structural proteins in a pig ovary. Ongoing development of an "ink" with these proteins will be used for 3-D printing an artificial (or bio-prosthetic) ovary that could be implanted and allow a woman to have a child.

6 Jan 2020

Common plasticizer leads to fertility problems in roundworms

A new study published 9th January in PLOS Genetics by Mónica Colaiácovo of Harvard Medical School and colleagues reports that the most commonly used plasticizer, diethylhexyl phthalate, leads to fertility problems by causing an excess number of breaks in the DNA during egg production, and then interfering with the repair systems that fixes the breaks.

2 Jan 2020

Consumers feel empowered and confused by direct-to-consumer fertility tests, study reveals

Direct-to-consumer hormone-based "fertility testing" for women is viewed by consumers as both an alternative, empowering tool for family planning, and a confusing and misleading one, according to the results of a new study from Penn Medicine.

30 Dec 2019

Study reveals rapid effects of diet on sperm quality

Sperm are influenced by diet, and the effects arise rapidly. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers at Linköping University, in which healthy young men were fed a diet rich in sugar.

28 Dec 2019

Chemical reprogramming of granulosa cells to form functional oocytes

By introducing a chemical cocktail to granulosa cells, researchers in China induced the cells to transform into functional oocytes in mice.

26 Dec 2019

Fewer fats could be the key to boosting male fertility

A diet low in fat and high in egg whites could be the key to boosting male fertility according to a new pilot study.

23 Dec 2019

A new book on ovarian cancer

An opening discussion of contemporary management of this disease presents commentary on surgery and clinical trials: neoadjuvant, dose-dense, and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC}, as well as immunotherapy, vaccine therapy, emerging therapies.

18 Dec 2019

Penn researchers track defective sperm epigenome linked to male infertility

One out of eight couples has trouble conceiving, with nearly a quarter of those cases caused by unexplained male infertility. For the past decade, research has linked that infertility to defective sperm that fail to "evict" proteins called histones from DNA during development.

16 Dec 2019

Important discovery about male infertility could lead to new treatments

Using a new mouse model, Penn Medicine researchers have identified defects in the sperm epigenome that cause male infertility.

16 Dec 2019

Boys born small at higher risk of infertility

A new study published in the journal Human Reproduction on December 13, 2019, shows that baby boys who don’t grow as well as expected in the womb may grow up to be infertile as adults. The study showed a 55% or 85% higher risk of infertility among this group of men compared to those born with appropriate weights.

15 Dec 2019

NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit closes gaps in perspective of value in cancer care

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) hosted an annual NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit: Delivering Value for Patients across the Oncology Ecosystem in Washington, DC, today.

11 Dec 2019

Study highlights lack of psychological support for people dealing with infertility in the UK

Psychological support for those dealing with infertility and its treatment is received by only just half of those who want it in the UK - with many left to suffer with anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts, according to a new study published in Human Fertility.

6 Dec 2019