Fertilization News and Research

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Two new studies further the understanding of molecular steps in PLC cascade

Two new studies by researchers at the University of Washington further our understanding of the molecular steps in the PLC cascade, a G protein-coupled receptor signaling mechanism that underlies a wide variety of cellular processes, including egg fertilization, hormone secretion, and the regulation of certain potassium channels.

27 Jan 2010

Research shows frozen human eggs are as effective as fresh eggs to preserve fertility

Fertility specialists responsible for the first pregnancy in the Pacific Northwest resulting from frozen human eggs are hailing new research showing that frozen eggs can be as effective as fresh eggs in helping previously infertile women achieve pregnancy.

22 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

New procedure could lead to higher IVF success rates in humans

19 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

Fertility drugs cause a high percentage of multiple births; contribute to growing crisis of prematurity

The widespread use of so-called fertility drugs, not just high-tech laboratory procedures, likely plays a larger role than previously realized in the growing problem of premature births in the United States, because these drugs cause a high percentage of multiple births, the March of Dimes said today.

18 Jan 2010

Genital complexities do matter when hooking up with opposite sex, says UC researcher

Charles Darwin spent eight years studying barnacles and their genitalia. In much less time than that, University of Cincinnati evolutionary biologist Michal Polak (and co-author Arash Rashed now at the University of California, Berkeley) have confirmed one of Darwin's theories: that genitalia complexities in some male species have developed because they assist the male in "holding her securely."

8 Jan 2010

Chinese researchers become the world's fifth most prolific contributors to regenerative medicine

Chinese researchers have become the world's fifth most prolific contributors to peer-reviewed scientific literature on clock-reversing regenerative medicine even as a skeptical international research community condemns the practice of Chinese clinics administering unproven stem cell therapies to domestic and foreign patients.

8 Jan 2010

Protein complex proves valuable for changing cell fate

The DNA contained within each of our cells is exactly the same, yet different types of cells - skin cells, heart cells, brain cells - perform very different functions. The ultimate fate of these cells is encoded not just in the DNA, but in a specific pattern of chemical modifications that overlay the DNA structure.

7 Jan 2010

New chromosomal screening strategy shows promise in PGS

A new strategy that researchers believe provides a more comprehensive screening of the entire chromosomal makeup of an embryo shows tremendous promise in the field of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) according to a study published in the December issue of Fertility and Sterility.

31 Dec 2009

Scientists develop straightforward technique to find ethnic origin of stem cells

An international team of scientists led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute has developed a straightforward technique to determine the ethnic origin of stem cells.

30 Dec 2009

Scientists offer potential new way to combat malaria

Stopping male mosquitoes from sealing their sperm inside females with a 'mating plug' could prevent mosquitoes from reproducing, and offer a potential new way to combat malaria, say scientists publishing new results in PLoS Biology on 22 December.

22 Dec 2009

Carrier screening reduces CF birth rates in northeast Italy

An increase in the number of screened carriers for cystic fibrosis (CF) was associated with a decrease in the number of children born with CF in northeast Italy, according to a study in the December 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Dec 2009

Catholics for Choice's statement on restriction of abortion coverage

"Today, Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) put the policy priorities of the U.S. Catholic bishops before the needs of women nationwide. Originally, Senator Nelson maintained that the abortion language in the healthcare bill was not a make-or-break factor in his vote.

8 Dec 2009

Sperm from men with NOA and OA capable of producing embryos

It has been thought that men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), a lack of sperm in the semen not caused by an obstruction within the reproductive system, are poor candidates for IVF. Now, researchers writing in the open access journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology have shown that sperm from men with NOA and obstructive azoospermia (OA) are equally capable of producing embryos.

3 Dec 2009

Bishop-endorsed healthcare system can undermine medical treatments and preventative measures

If the Catholic bishops have their way, many medical treatments and preventative measures we take for granted may be under threat. The pressure that the US bishops have brought to bear on the debate over healthcare reform has been widely reported.

3 Dec 2009

AFA to host a webinar on Catholics and IVF

On Monday, The American Fertility Association will host a webinar entitled Catholics and IVF: A Pastoral Approach, presented by Father Jon Pedigo. IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization, is a form of assisted reproductive technology (ART) often used by couples and individuals who are having difficulty conceiving a child naturally. During the IVF process, one or more embryos are implanted into a woman's uterus and the remaining, unused embryos are destroyed, frozen, or donated.

2 Dec 2009

SANYO releases whitepaper on its new cell culture CO2 incubator

SANYO North America's Biomedical and Environmental Division has released a new whitepaper showing that higher up-time ratios, based on new protocols that minimize incubator downtime when compared to conventional decontamination methods, can accelerate a return on investment in cell culture CO2 incubators that use hydrogen peroxide vapor (H2O2) in conjunction with narrow-bandwidth ultraviolet light and copper-enriched stainless steel.

24 Nov 2009

VINNOVA to provide SEK 3.6 million for Vitrolife’s stem-cell research

Vitrolife: VINNOVA announced in a press release yesterday that they are going to provide support of SEK 3.6 million for Vitrolife’s research project for optimized culture media to enable the clinical use of stem cells. “It is very pleasing news and will enable more intensive work in an area that we very much believe in for the future”, says Magnus Nilsson, Vitrolife’s CEO.

18 Nov 2009