Home
cancer
,
Egg donation
,
follicles
,
In vitro fertilisation
,
IVF
Fertility First: Human Egg Cells Grow Up in Lab
Catherine McDiarmid-Watt |
Monday, July 20, 2009 |
0
comments
For the first time, scientists have managed to grow mature human eggs from immature cells in the lab, a technique that may eventually help save the fertility of female cancer patients who aren’t eligible for traditional egg harvest.
Researchers from Northwestern University took immature egg cells, encased in a protective sac called a follicle, from 14 women who wanted to preserve their fertility before undergoing chemotherapy. By placing the cells in a unique three-dimensional growing environment for 30 days, the scientists coaxed the cells into becoming what appear to be healthy, functional human eggs.
“It is a major first,” said infertility expert Sherman Silber of St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, who was not involved in the research. “No one has yet tested the eggs by in-vitro fertilization and pregnancy, but they look quite normal and we are all excited about it.”
Read more: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/humanegg/
Category:
cancer,
Egg donation,
follicles,
In vitro fertilisation,
IVF
About Catherine: I am mom to three grown sons, two grandchildren and two rescue dogs. After years of raising my boys as a single mom, I remarried a wonderful man who had never had a child of his own. Unexpectedly, I found myself pregnant at 49!
Sadly we lost that precious baby at 8 weeks, and decided to try again. Five more losses, turned down for donor egg, foster care and adoption due to my age and losses - we have accepted that there will be no more babies in our house.
Find Catherine on Google+ - Circle us on Google+ - Join us on Facebook - Follow us on Twitter
WE LOVE COMMENTS!
Don't just sit there, reading this story or article - say something! Do you believe it? Do you think it is impossible? Do you wish it was you? Do you have a story to share (it might get published!)
NOTE: Comments are moderated - just to stop the spambots - and so may take up to a few hours to be approved.
Catherine reserves the right to review, edit, refuse or delete any comment.
Popular Posts
-
Causes for low sperm count: • Infected semen • Tight underpants, bathing in very hot water, sitting for long hours, over weight in whi...
-
A biologist at Wichita State University has made a breakthrough discovery about human reproductive hormones that scientists say could give ...
-
Picture by www.edmontonsun.com Use of birth control pill could be leading women by the nose If you've ever wondered "What the hel...
-
Photo Credit: by Cold Clock , by Marcelo Gerpe AMH [Anti-Mullerian Hormone test] assessment is also useful in fertility assessment as i...
-
Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT) is launching GayParentsToBe.com , a website dedicated to helping same-sex couples ...
-
Photo by www.telegraph.co.uk During her teens, Imogen Edwards-Jones was terrified of falling pregnant – now 36, she fears she will never ha...
0 comments