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(cz) Scientists think they have discovered a mechanism that prompts early menopause and might account for some infertility problems in women.
PTEN — a gene that’s known for suppressing tumor growth — apparently also keeps immature eggs in the ovary from ripening too quickly. When researchers deleted the PTEN gene in mice, the rodents ran out of their entire supply of eggs while they were still in the mouse equivalent of early adulthood. If ultimately applicable in humans, the revelation could lead to better infertility treatments.
“This finding is believed to have broad physiological, clinical and practical significance,” said senior study author Kui Liu, an assistant professor of medical biochemistry and biophysics at Umea University, in Sweden. The report is published in the Feb. 1 issue of Science.
A woman’s ovaries are made up of follicles, each of which contains an oocyte (the germ cell which will eventually give rise to an egg).
Over time, the majority of follicles remain dormant, acting as holding pens for immature oocytes. Some of these dormant follicles, however, slowly move over to the growing active follicle pool, where they are available for immediate release and, perhaps, fertilization. Menopause occurs when there are no more follicles and, therefore, no more oocytes left. more…

From: »US News«

(sz) An in-vitro fertilization (IVF) centre in northern India is being prosecuted as it fails to deliver on promise of male child. In another instance not even conception took place.
Canada-based Amrik Singh and his wife Rupinder Kaur allege that they had paid Rs.5 lakh to Vardhan Medical Centre, Jalandhar, in 2005 when they were assured of a male child through IVF.
But as it turned out, the woman later delivered a girl child in Canada, after which the couple filed a complaint against the centre’s owner.
And then there was another the same year. Balwinder Kaur Gill, also of Canada, and who already had a daughter, was promised help to conceive a boy.
She too coughed up Rs.5 lakh to the centre and underwent treatment. She was seen off with a lot of promises and good wishes, but back in Canada, she realized to her horror that she had not even conceived. This too happened in 2005.
The Jalandhar police are filing cases under the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 against the owner of the IVF centre and five doctors working there. more…

From: »MedIndia«

(sz) The prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) among in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies was similar to that of the general population, but there is an increasing risk of CHD among twins resulting from IVF, according to research by Yale School of Medicine researchers.
Mert Ozan Bahtiyar, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, presented [ed.] the abstract on January 31 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas.
Working with the Fetal Cardiovascular Center at Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital, a central referral center for the State of Connecticut, Bahtiyar and his colleagues examined almost 2,000 patients using fetal echocardiography. The study lasted from January 1, 2006 through July 31, 2007. Among those patients, 250 women were specifically seen due to pregnancy resulting from in vitro fertilization. They did not have other medical problems that would require echocardiograms. The team conducted 357 fetal echocardiograms for 347 fetuses on these 250 women. Approximately 30 percent had twin pregnancies.
“We found that twin pregnancies conceived through IVF have a higher prevalence of CHD than singletons,” said Bahtiyar, who saw a three-fold increase. “IVF twins are usually fraternal, but past studies of identical twins also showed up to a 13-fold increase in congenital heart defects.” more…

From: »EurekaAlert« (press release)

(sz) There is an urgent need for more fertility centres to meet the increase in the number of infertility cases in the country, said a senior Ministry of Health official yesterday.
Talking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the conference on the recent advances in fertility treatment organised by the conference secretariat of the Gulf Medical College (GMC), Ajman, Dr Kalthoom Hassan, consultant family physician and Head of the Maternal and Child Health Centre, Ras Al Khaimah Medical District, MoH, said the incidences of infertility were rapidly increasing in the country.
The conference was attended by Hamad Taryem Al Shamsi, Head of Ajman Medical District, and was held in association with Gunasheela IVF Centre, Bangalore.
“There is an urgent need for more fertility centres all over the country. At present, there is one in Dubai, but that is not enough to meet the requirements of the people in the northern emirates,” she said. more…

From: »Khaleej Times«

(wz) Reproductive Science Centerof New England announces the opening of a new office in Melrose, Mass. to serve the needs of patients who live in Melrose, Wakefield and Malden. The Melrose office, located at 830 Main Street, Suite 207, will begin scheduling patients for February.
The new location will offer diagnostic as well as other fertility consultations for patients in the area. In vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures — which include egg retrievals, embryo transfers and embryo cryopreservation — will continue to be performed at RSC’s centrally located Lexington, Mass. office.
“This is an opportunity for Melrose and Wakefield area patients to gain access to RSC’s diagnostic and monitoring services in a more convenient location,” said Dr. Isaac Z. Glatstein, associate medical director at RSC. “We understand our patients have busy schedules and want to make their
infertility treatment as comfortable and convenient as possible.” more…

From: »PR-News-Wire« (press-release)