Fertilization News and Research

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Artificially replicating the male genome may help infertile men

Artificially replicating the male genome could help men with very low sperm counts become fathers, a scientist told the 23rd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

4 Jul 2007

Genetic embryo screening found to be a costly mistake for many women

According to a new study older women whose embryos were screened for defects before being implanted in the womb lessened their chance of a successful pregnancy.

4 Jul 2007

Young girls have eggs extracted before chemo to protect fertility

Israeli fertility experts have extracted and frozen eggs from girls as young as five about to undergo chemotherapy and frozen them so they can be used later to start a family.

3 Jul 2007

High frequency of sperm abnormalities associated with reduced testicular volume in male lupus patients

The prognosis for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease that mainly affects women in their reproductive years, has improved recently, prompting a shift toward improving quality of life.

29 Jun 2007

Natural hormone relaxin offers hope to infertile couples

A new study from the University of Leicester is investigating whether a naturally produced hormone could provide the key to helping couples conceive.

29 Jun 2007

Discovery of gene and mechanism essential to the embryonic development of the epididymis

Human sperm cells travel up to 6 meters in their transit from testes to penis, and most of that journey occurs in the epididymis, a tightly coiled tube that primes the cells for their ultimate task: fertilization.

28 Jun 2007

Health of babies not affected by embryo screening

New research has shown that babies born after pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) are as healthy as those born after conventional IVF treatment.

18 Jun 2007

Scientists look at slow-freezing techniques for human tissue

The goal is to make human eggs, ovarian tissue, blood vessels, even whole organs available when needed.

8 Jun 2007

Males have evolved to deliver sperm more effectively to females with multiple partners

A review of the latest research in sexual adaptation shows that evidence is building for what researchers call "sperm competition."

9 May 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

Better understanding of membrane fusion

Cells constantly swap cargo bound in vesicles, miniscule membrane-enclosed packages of proteins and other chemicals. Before the swap can take place, the vesicle membrane must fuse with another membrane, creating channels packages can pass through.

18 Apr 2007

Connection between cancer development and Darwinian evolution explored

Cancer is a natural consequence of human evolution. Our genes have not developed to give us long and happy lives.

17 Apr 2007

Scientists discover key player in embryonic muscle development

Muscle fibers are large cells that contain many nuclei. They begin, like all animal cells, as naive embryonic cells. These cells differentiate, producing intermediate cells called myoblasts that are now destined to become muscle.

12 Apr 2007

Boston IVF announces participant in fully enrolled egg freezing study has become pregnant

This is the first pregnancy in Massachusetts to result from egg freezing. The study was performed by Boston IVF and sponsored by an independent medical grant from EMD Serono, a biotech company with an area of focus on infertility.

4 Apr 2007

California Senate Committee approves bill that would allow HIV-positive men to have sperm washed

The California Senate Health Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve a bill (SB 443) that would allow HIV-positive men to have their sperm washed and used for fertility treatments, including artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, under certain guidelines, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

2 Apr 2007

Multiple malaria infection inhibits spread of parasite

People who are frequently infected with malaria parasites can develop immunity against the gametocyte, the infectious stage. This immunity inhibits the spread of the parasite. Dutch researcher Mike van der Kolk discovered this during his research into malaria transmission under the inhabitants of Cameroon, Senegal and Indonesia.

28 Mar 2007

New procedure to estimate reproductive potential of individual embryos

To address the high rate of multiple births resulting from in-vitro-fertilization (IVF), researchers at Yale School of Medicine and McGill University have developed a procedure that estimates the reproductive potential of individual embryos, possibly leading to a decrease in multiple-infant births and a higher success rate in women undergoing IVF.

19 Mar 2007

Ultrasound could help couples undergoing IVF

Ultrasound-based tests allowing women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to count their chickens before they've hatched may provide alternatives to the hormone-based tests used today.

15 Mar 2007

California Sen. Carole Migden introduces bill to allow HIV-positive men to use reproductive services

California Sen. Carole Migden (D) recently introduced a bill (SB 443) that would allow HIV-positive men to use reproductive services, including artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, under certain guidelines, the MediaNews/San Jose Mercury News reports.

8 Mar 2007

Steroid use fails to boost pregnancy rates in infertility treatments

There is no clear benefit from a hormone commonly prescribed to enhance the effectiveness of infertility treatments, according to a new review of studies.

1 Mar 2007