First baby born from eggs matured, frozen in lab
Breakthrough gives hope to women with cancer, ovarian disease
平特五不中 researchers are heralding the birth of the first baby born from eggs matured and frozen in the laboratory, a breakthrough that could give women with cancer or ovarian disease fresh hope for motherhood.
Dr. Hananel Holzer and Dr. Seang Lin Tan of the 平特五不中 Reproductive Centre announced the successful birth during the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lyon, France.
鈥淭he combination of technologies is what鈥檚 important here,鈥� said Dr. Holzer, lead author of the research. 鈥溒教匚宀恢� is a pioneer in both the freezing and individual in-vitro maturation of eggs and this is the first time these two technologies have been successfully combined.鈥�
The research involved 20 patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) whose immature eggs were matured and frozen in laboratory test tubes at the Reproductive Centre in the 平特五不中 Health Centre鈥檚 Royal Victoria Hospital. One of the women has given birth to a healthy girl while three others are pregnant, Dr. Holzer said.
Although Dr. Holzer cautioned that the technology has not yet been tested on patients with cancer, this latest breakthrough offers hope for such women to also extend their fertility and successfully give birth.
In 2005, Dr. Tan, director of the 平特五不中 Reproductive Centre, announced the first birth from a frozen egg, but in that case, the egg was not matured in the lab and the patient had received hormonal medication to stimulate the ovaries. The difference is significant in that ovarian stimulation, which causes eggs to mature inside the ovaries, can pose potentially fatal health risks for women with PCOS or certain forms of cancer. Since then, 20 babies have been born from frozen eggs at the 平特五不中 Reproductive Centre, said Dr. Holzer.
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