Well, I am not sure what it means for humans, but scientists in the States have apparently found that fasting can turn back the reproductive clock in worms!
A research team found that when adult worms were not given any food, they stopped ovulating and part of their reproductive system simply died off. When they were then given food again, the stem cells that had been left behind started producing new, fertile eggs. The old worms in the survey were able to produce healthy babies at a time when normally they would have been dead.
The researchers have made it very clear that there is no suggestion that going on a fast, or severely restricting calories, would lead to humans producing new eggs, but they hope that their findings might be used to help understand the mechanisms that control fertility. They are particularly interested to find out whether their research could have any relevance for women who are recovering from cancer treatments that can destroy the immature eggs in the ovaries might in fact be able to regain their fertility.
You can read more about the research here
Showing posts with label eggs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eggs. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Research identifies problems for lab-matured eggs
Researchers from Yale University have been looking at egg development in the laboratory, and may have found some clues as to why in-vitro maturationn (IVM), hailed of late as a great new advance in assisted reproduction, doesn't have higher success rates.
In standard IVF, eggs grow in their natural environment in the ovary and are given their last hormonal boost to mature them inside the female body. However, IVM, or in-vitro maturation, involves taking immature eggs from the ovaries and maturing them in the laboratory. It uses less drugs and is cheaper than IVF, so was heralded by many as a significant way ahead, but it is not suitable for everyone as you need to have lots of immature eggs in the ovaries to make it worthwhile.
The research team looked at eggs matured in the laboratory and compared them with eggs that were matured in the woman's body, and found that there were significant differences in their genetic development. The eggs matured in the lab had differences in their gene activity as they developed, and in their genetic profile.
This new research suggests that we don't yet have the ideal laboratory conditions for maturing eggs, and this may be why IVM success rates are not higher. The research team were aiming to find better ways to culture these immature eggs, and to identify the eggs most likely to lead to a pregnancy. The details of the research are on the Yale website " www.yale.edu
In standard IVF, eggs grow in their natural environment in the ovary and are given their last hormonal boost to mature them inside the female body. However, IVM, or in-vitro maturation, involves taking immature eggs from the ovaries and maturing them in the laboratory. It uses less drugs and is cheaper than IVF, so was heralded by many as a significant way ahead, but it is not suitable for everyone as you need to have lots of immature eggs in the ovaries to make it worthwhile.
The research team looked at eggs matured in the laboratory and compared them with eggs that were matured in the woman's body, and found that there were significant differences in their genetic development. The eggs matured in the lab had differences in their gene activity as they developed, and in their genetic profile.
This new research suggests that we don't yet have the ideal laboratory conditions for maturing eggs, and this may be why IVM success rates are not higher. The research team were aiming to find better ways to culture these immature eggs, and to identify the eggs most likely to lead to a pregnancy. The details of the research are on the Yale website " www.yale.edu
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