Whether naturally or through IVF, conception usually requires an egg and a sperm to get things started. But now, researchers from the Netherlands have managed to skip that step and grow model mouse embryos by combining stem cells instead.Read more
UK scientists have been given the go-ahead by the fertility regulator to genetically modify human embryos. It is the first time a country has considered the DNA-altering technique in embryos and approved it.The research will take place at the Francis Crick Institute in London and aims to provide a deeper understanding of the earliest momentsRead more
Researchers have identified a biological process that may cause the failure of embryos to attach to the uterus wall after IVF, raising the possibility of future treatments. Recent studies have found that microRNA (miRNA) levels are altered in the endometrium of women with repeated implantation failure. But how these molecules might affect the attachment of the embryo was previously unknown. Scientists atRead more
As many as ten Irish couples are understood to be in Ukraine awaiting the birth of their children via surrogacy or are with their newborn babies. Ukraine’s borders were closed in March as a result of the virus outbreak and are due to remain closed until 22 May.Read more
It has long been a joke among the royalty and aristocracy of Britain that it is the duty of the titled wife to provide an “heir and a spare” – a joke that becomes no laughing matter if the woman fails to do so. The Viscount and Viscountess Weymouth just welcomed their second child toRead more
A medical team in Greece claims to have found a way to reverse menopause, by “rejuvenating” the ovaries, thereby extending the window in which a woman can have kids. The reproductive period normally ends at menopause, which in Canada hits on average at age 51. This is the time when a woman stops menstruating (i.e. releasing anRead more
Researchers from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in collaboration with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center researchers have identified an unprecedented genetic survival strategy that would be right at home in an Agatha Christie murder mystery novel.Read more
The maths of collective behavior has provided a new technique for selecting the best semen for artificial insemination in livestock. In the world of artificial insemination, it is well known that the most active semen samples indicate strongly swimming sperm, and the most fertile males. The activity of the semen is currently ranked on aRead more
Recent court decisions raise concerns about the loosening of the law on the prohibition of surrogacy. In the end, a person will lose dignity, there will only be a price tag. Author: Eva Maria Bachinger The ban on surrogacy in Austria only exists on paper. Decision of the regional court of the Federal State ofRead more
A rare genetic mutation reduces the risk of having a heart attack by one-third, a study has found. The mutation, which substantially lowers levels of non-HDL cholesterol – a marker for heart-disease risk – is already being investigated as potential drug target for preventing heart disease. ‘[This is] an important and previously unknown mechanism for modulatingRead more
