A team of researchers from the Newcastle University have developed a pioneering ‘three-person IVF’ technique, in which the fertilization procedure uses the nuclear DNA of the biological parents, and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from an oocyte donor. The technique, which facilitates exchange of DNA between two oocytes, could serve in preventing the transmission of mitochondrial diseases to offspring. The findings of the groundbreaking study have been published in the online edition of the journal, Nature. Continue Reading

There is substantial evidence to support the progressive decline in fertility in women with advancing age; however, this association has not been well established in men. Now, a recent study reports that semen volume, sperm motility, and the rate of fertilization reduces with age in men. The findings of the study are published in the recent issue of the journal, Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Continue Reading

Introduction
Over the past quarter century, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people seeking infertility treatment. According to the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, around 11.8% of women in the US, aged between 15 to 44 years, had impaired fecundity. The importance given to reproduction and the generation of progeny has led to the development of various assisted conception techniques and methods to overcome infertility. One such method is “third party reproduction”, which uses sperms, oocytes, or embryos donated by a donor to help infertile couples achieve parenthood. Continue Reading

Written by Dr Stacey Ellender

A Brief History of Surrogacy
Surrogacy is not new, although the practice has been altered with time. There is evidence that it was an accepted remedy for infertility in the ancient world. In the Hebrew scriptures, when Sara was unable to have a child, she told Abraham to be with her maid Hagar, so that she might bear him a son. A similar story was told of Rachel, Jacob, and the maid, Bilhah. In such stories, it was the wife who was perceived to be infertile, thus a stand-in for her, a surrogate wife, was the only remedy sought. The surrogate was, in most cases, of the same race and ethnicity as the wife, (though often younger) so as to produce a child readily acceptable to her, and passable as her own. But the surrogate was also likely to be of lower social position, a servant or a slave, and she had no choice in the matter; if the head of the household decided she would bear him a child, she complied. If she successfully gave birth, she might be acknowledged as the one who did so, but the child was raised by the man who impregnated her and his wife, and she had little or no place in that child’s life. Continue Reading

Although the efficacy of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) as a marker in IVF cycles has been established in various studies, there is insufficient evidence about its usefulness in oocyte donors. Now, a study has reported that AMH assessment in oocyte donors has the potential to ascertain the gonadotropin sensitivity and reduce/prevent the occurrence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The findings, indicating the benefits of testing AMH for individualizing stimulation protocols, have been published in the online issue of the journal, Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Continue Reading

The success of any IVF cycle is known to be multifactorial, although there is no consensus about the factors that influence the outcome. Now, a new retrospective study elucidates the negative effect of certain key recipient-related parameters, such as increased body mass index (BMI >30 kg/m²), endometrial thickness (<8 mm), and pituitary down-regulation, on IVF outcome in donor oocyte cycles, independent of the age of the recipient. The study results have been published in the current issue of Human Reproduction. Continue Reading

Oocyte cryopreservation holds significant potential as an option for preserving female fertility, especially in patients undergoing aggressive radiation or chemotherapy. Following an intensive review, the British Fertility Society (BFS) and the Association of Clinical Embryologists (ACE) have issued new clinical guidelines on egg freezing technologies for UK clinics. Continue Reading

Multiple factors have been attributed to affect the outcome of IVF pregnancies achieved through oocyte donation; some of them include embryo quality, endometrial receptivity, reproductive status of the recipient, and the ages of the donor and recipient. Despite contradictory evidences on the effect of the recipient’s age, the age of the donor has been identified as a significant factor influencing the outcomes of assisted reproduction. Results of a multivariate analysis published in the journal Fertility and Sterility has further substantiated the crucial association between the donor’s age and the number of mature oocytes/embryos obtained. The study results also proposed the significance of other factors, such as estradiol level on the day of hCG administration and amount of gonadotropin used in the stimulation protocol, for predicting IVF outcome. Continue Reading

The advent of newer chemotherapeutic drugs has increased concerns about their genotoxic effects in young patients undergoing chemotherapy. Although several strategies have been proposed to conserve female fertility before and during cancer treatment, there is a lack of evidence-based data that can substantiate the efficacy and safety of these techniques. The use of chemotherapeutic medications that do not induce oocyte damage or prevent it may emerge as a new option for fertility preservation. A recent study, elucidating the pathway linked to chemotherapy-induced death of oocytes, reports the protective effect of the anticancer drug, imatinib in preserving the oocytes during such treatments. The results of the study are published online in the journal Nature Medicine. Continue Reading

The amended and updated Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 1990 came into force on October 1, 2009 in the United Kingdom. This implementation, accounting for the single largest change affecting the UK fertility sector in the last two decades, provides a futuristic framework and will form the basis for regulating the practice. Continue Reading