Researchers at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital found a technique that shows promise in restoring fertility to ovaries that have stopped working.
The study, published July 21 in Lancet Lancet eBioMedicine, used adult stem cells to restore healthy hormone levels after chemotherapy, which led to natural conception, in live mice. Researchers found injected stem cells restored the mouse hormone levels and fertility and appeared to heal the ovary and restart egg production.
"I think that was the most exciting finding. We were able to get some of the animals' autologous eggs to come resume development in both ovaries, not just the ovary we injected," Raymond Anchan, MD, PhD, director of the stem cell biology and regenerative medicine research laboratory in the Brigham's Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery, said in a July 21 hospital news release. "The stem cells must be secreting a factor promoting this healing process. We're now looking at what the factor or factors might be."
About 5 percent of women have premature ovarian failure from cancer treatment or genetic issues, according to the release. Once the ovaries fail, hormone levels fall and the person loses the ability to create eggs and conceive children. There are currently no therapies to regain fertility after ovarian failure.