The link between donor or recipient age and treatment outcomes in oocyte recipient cycles is not clearly understood, despite evidence indicating that advancing maternal age is an independent risk factor for unfavorable pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in autologous cycles. Highlighting the negative impact of advancing donor age, a recent population study has suggested that the probability of pregnancy and live delivery is higher in older recipients when an oocyte donor <35 years of age is selected. Continue Reading

It has been observed that long-term survivors of lifesaving cancer therapies are at great risk of gonadal toxicity. Now, a study reviewing the impact of Hodgkin lymphoma therapy on male and female fertility, reiterates the usefulness and effectiveness of cryopreservation for fertility preservation in such patients. Continue Reading

Pediatric oncologists have noted a significant increase in the number of childhood cancer survivors as a result of advancements in the medical field, which has raised the concerns of post-cancer reproductive health. Highlighting the presence of elevated FSH levels in one-third of young adult male childhood cancer survivors evaluated, a recent study has found FSH to be an extremely sensitive marker for cancer survivors who may require ART subsequently. Continue Reading

The increase in the success rates of ART over the past few decades has been mainly attributed to improved laboratory conditions and ovarian stimulation optimization, with less attention directed towards strategies for enhancing final oocyte maturation. A recent study, touted to be the first randomized double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial to alter the ovulation trigger to enhance the developmental competence of oocytes in IVF cycles, has reported a statistically significant improvement in fertilization after a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) bolus administration at the time of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger, compared to placebo, in IVF cycles. Continue Reading

Conventionally used measures to determine embryo quality, such as morphology and cleavage rate, have limited ability to predict successful outcome. A recent prospective laboratory study suggests that the evaluation of the oxidative status of an early embryo in the culture media may serve as a novel technique for improving embryo selection in IVF-ET cycles. The results of the study are published in the journal, Fertility and Sterility. Continue Reading

The results of a recent randomized, prospective, controlled study published in the journal, Human Reproduction, adds credence to the potential of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation in enhancing IVF treatment outcomes in poor responders. Continue Reading

Several trials have suggested a correlation between high concentrations of anti-ovarian antibodies (AOA) in women with low estradiol response to gonadotropin hormone stimulation, reduced pregnancy rate, and repeated IVF failure. A new study, reiterating this correlation, has suggested that including AOA evaluation in the array of tests used for diagnosing and treating infertility may be useful. The study findings are published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. Continue Reading

A new breakthrough blood test that helps predict the approximate age at which a woman would attain menopause has been developed. The preliminary findings of this population-based cohort study were presented at the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) held at Rome from 27^th to 30^th June 2010. The researchers are hopeful that the test could help women determine the age at which they reach menopause and accordingly plan their motherhood. Continue Reading

Sperm banking has been recognized as an effective strategy to circumvent iatrogenic infertility and also retain the reproductive potential of adolescent and young adult males undergoing cancer therapy. However, the effect of long-term cryopreservation on the fertilization potential of sperm has been contentious. Now, a study performed by a group of Israeli researchers rules out any negative influence of prolonged storage in liquid nitrogen on the progressive motility concentration (PMC) of sperm. The results are published in the online issue of the journal Human Reproduction. Continue Reading

Deleterious mutations in the BRCA genes greatly enhance the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. In a novel finding, researchers at the New York Medical College have reported the association between the mutations in BRCA1 gene and early depletion of ovarian reserve, thereby highlighting the potential link between breast and ovarian cancer risk with infertility. The results, which highlight the importance of DNA repair in ovarian aging, were presented at the 65^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held at Atlanta from October 17^th to 21^st, 2009. Continue Reading