The egg was first grown in a test tube
With the help of their method, doctors intend to give a chance to conceive a child to women who are forced to undergo a vital, but threatening reproductive function, chemotherapy course.
Egg supply
In the female body, the supply of eggs is contained from birth, But initially they are immature, and therefore cannot be fertilized. Mature eggs, in turn, make the female body more vulnerable to diseases (and restrictions on the admission of women to a number of harmful industries are partly due to this). But previously it was not possible to artificially grow an immature egg to an adult state, and special difficulties were associated with the creation of conditions necessary for maturation inside the follicle.
Meanwhile, the need for artificial egg maturation existed. For example. in the treatment of a number of oncological diseases, when radiation or chemotherapy saves the patient, but irreversibly disrupts the work of her ovaries, which prevents the onset of pregnancy.
Follicles
In this diagram (with wikipedia.org , author – user Shazz) shows the development of an egg. Initially, the follicle (2) matures and releases an egg in the middle of the monthly cycle (4). Then, if fertilization does not occur, the remnants of the follicle during menstruation leave the reproductive system (6 and 1) together with part of the tissues of the uterine mucosa. (We recommend watching footage of a unique video recording of the process of the release of a mature egg from the ovary – VM.)
Scientists tell about how they managed to achieve egg maturation in the journal Human Reproduction. So, the researchers managed to take not just an egg, but a whole follicle and ensure that as it matures, it produces the same hormones that are synthesized inside the female body.
The diameter of the follicle is about 0.15 mm, A certain number of follicles can be obtained during a biopsy without much harm to the patient's health. This procedure is routine for doctors, further manipulations are already performed with a piece of tissue, and the resulting egg, in turn, is fertilized and transferred to the uterus or frozen for future use.
AlternativesThe researchers explain that their method compares favorably with other techniques of reproductive medicine, when manipulations with an egg in some cases turn out to be unsuitable for one reason or another.
For example, in principle, it is impossible to get a mature egg from girls: the reproductive system simply does not produce them yet. And if you try to extract the entire ovary before chemotherapy and then transplant it back, then along with the problems of organ survival, the risk of cancer re-development from the cells preserved in the ovary increases.
Previously, such a technique for growing eggs, scientists note, brought success only on mice, and with human eggs, according to Teresa Woodroof, one of the study participants, such a result was obtained for the first time.
FutureWoodroof also said that the follicles grown in the laboratory will allow scientists to answer the question about the interaction of the egg with the surrounding tissues.
Many mechanisms, according to the scientist, are still poorly understood, and the opportunity to investigate them will allow you to choose methods for treating infertility associated with impaired egg maturation.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru16.07.2009