Ovaries "awakened" test-tube, a barren woman gives birth to a child - The Messenger

A 30 year old woman considered sterile, gave birth to a child. The birth was made possible by an experimental technique that involves removing the ovaries, treat them in the laboratory and reimplantation. The technique, still in the experimental phase, involving a small group of Japanese women with a particular problem of infertility. But members of the scientific community are hoping that it can also help women 40 years and over who have difficulty getting pregnant.

“The new mother gave birth last December in Tokyo. She and the baby are in good health, “said Dr. Kazuhiro Kawamura of St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan. The doctor, along with other colleagues, described the new technique in a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The woman, whose name has not been revealed, had been diagnosed with primary ovarian failure, commonly known as premature menopause. The technique is to “awaken” the ovaries of patients in the test tube and then download them to the uterus. The achievement was made possible by the collaboration that lasted several years between a team of doctors at the hospital in Japan and one of the doctors at Stanford University (California). The reactivation of the ovaries in vitro can help women who today can not in any way have a child because they can not produce eggs.

Dr. Kawamura and his team at the end of the experimental procedure, which lasted six weeks were able to obtain ova from five of the 27 patients. Of these, one had an abortion, one was not able to get pregnant, two have finally given up. Of the group, 13 women had residual follicles. About their doctors have performed a fragmentation of reactivating ovarian tissue in vitro. Then they turned off the PTEN protein, according to research that was opposed to the “awakening” of the ovarian follicles. Then with laparoscopy patients have re-engaged with their ovaries. “In the group were 14 women completely devoid of follicles. For them there was no help they can get, “said Aaron Hsueh, Stanford University, author of the study.