For some time, fertility clinics have been storing ovarian tissue from women who have cancer and have to undergo chemotherapy, as this can destroy the ovaries and lead to infertility.
Until now, storing the tissue has been a measure doctors have undertaken in the hope that at some point in the future, it may be possible to use it to develop eggs in the laboratory.
Now a team from Edinburgh University have managed to do just that. They added artificial growth hormones to ovarian tissue taken from volunteers who were having caesarean sections, and managed to observe a number of follicles, or egg sacs, developing in the tissue.
It has been suggested that this research means the eggs that develop inside follicles could be used for IVF for cancer patients, and even that it could offer an opportunity for all women to preserve their fertility by freezing ovarian tissue. However, it is important to note that the research team admit they are a long way from this at present, and that they cannot be certain that the eggs they are growing in the laboratory are normal. Despite this, it is still a significant scientific development and a large step forwards. There's a balanced analysis of the research here
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