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(wz) SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Senate voted today to spend state tax dollars on embryonic stem cell research, despite objections from those who argue the research destroys human life. The measure passed 35-23 and now goes to the Illinois House.
Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has already used his executive powers to fund stem cell research. He created the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute, which has awarded $15 million in grants. The Senate legislation would make the institute and its grants a part of state law.
Supporters say embryonic stem cells could yield treatments for a wide variety of diseases, including diabetes and Alzheimer’s. They argue the cells are taken only from embryos created for in vitro fertilization that would otherwise be discarded. more…

From: »Fox News« (online)

(sz) Women will be allowed to donate eggs for stem cell research in exchange for a discount on their own fertility treatment under controversial plans to be recommended this week.
Britain’s fertility watchdog is being asked to back the move even though it was rejected in a public consultation because of concerns over women being financially coerced into giving their eggs.
Critics fear the use of “egg sharing” donors for research could lead to the exploitation of vulnerable women desperate for fertility treatment. more…

From: »The Daily Telegraph« (UK)

(ws) Fathers of non-identical twins have better quality sperm than other men, according to a study by Danish fertility specialists. The observation suggests that twinning rates could provide a useful measure of male fertility in a given population.
Earlier research had revealed that men who took longer to father a child were less likely to have non-identical (dizygotic) twins. And some research had hinted that non-identical twins were less common in populations with low male fertility. But there was little or no research on semen quality in fathers of twins, until now. more…

From: »NewScientist.com«

Canadian study largest on IVF to date: Babies conceived through fertility risk carry a slightly increased risk of being born with birth defects such as heart problems and deformed limbs.

Babies conceived through fertility treatments have higher rates of birth defects, but the overall risk is so small that it should not keep couples from having children this way, doctors say.

The news comes from a study of more than 61,000 births in Canada, the largest of its kind ever conducted in North America. more…

Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes and thought to hold great promise at overcoming the infertility associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is less useful for helping women with the condition achieve pregnancy than is the standard treatment with the infertility drug clomiphene, report researchers in an NIH research network. more…

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For many women, irregular or infrequent menstrual cycles may not sound like such a bad thing. But a condition that can cause irregular periods polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS can present women with numerous health concerns, ranging from excess hair growth to fertility issues to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

PCOS affects about one in 10 women of reproductive age, making it one of the more common hormonal abnormalities women experience during their reproductive years. Women often notice that something is wrong when they have irregular bleeding either infrequent and very light or more frequent and heavy and often excess hair growth, says Dan Lebovic, M.D., M.A., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School.
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If people want to choose their baby’s sex before pregnancy, should doctors help?
Some parents would love the chance to decide, while others wouldn’t dream of meddling with nature. The medical world is also divided. Professional groups say sex selection is allowable in certain situations, but differ as to which ones. Meanwhile, it’s not illegal, and some doctors are already cashing in on the demand. more…

A total of 5,665 infertile couples succeeded in getting pregnant following the government’s support program, leading to an expected 6,200 newborn babies this year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday.

The number accounted for 1.4 percent of the total new-born babies in 2005.

The government will increase its support to cover 12,000 infertile couples with a maximum of 3 million won ($3,200) for their test-tube baby (in vitro fertilization -IVF) procedures. more…

A NEW test being developed by a British company could double the success rates of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. The breakthrough, one of the most significant developments in the $10bn (E7.7bn, $5.1bn) market for IVF in years, could transform the lives of couples struggling to conceive.

The technology should reduce the average cost of treatment and increase availability at a time when private clinics are under attack for overcharging and raising expectations of their chances of success.

The new technique, known as “comparative genomic hybridisation�?, involves taking a small sample of DNA from the outside membrane of the egg before it has been fertilised and screening its chromosomes. more…
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The government’s plan to tackle Korea’s low birth rate includes producing more twins, and this year the number of newborn twins is expected to double.

“Mrs. Ahn” had known she was infertile for five years before she learned that the government provides financial support for test-tube baby procedures (in vitro fertilization, or IVF) during her visit to a local public health center.

“IVF costs around W3 million (US$1=W936) per case, but I heard that the government covers around half of that so I applied,” Ahn said. The effort was a success, and Ahn and her husband are expecting twins this spring. more…
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