artificial ovaries to help women have children after cancer

Researchers at Rigshospitalet Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, developed artificial ovaries to allow women to have children after cancer treatment or other fertility-damaging therapies (early menopause, multiple sclerosis in plaques, beta-thalbademia …). Made with a 3D printer, these ovaries would be able to keep human eggs alive for weeks. A major step towards the cure of infertility. In May 2017, American researchers explained in Nature Communications that "current technologies, including in vitro fertilization, hormonal treatments and ovarian transplants, do not provide long-term solutions and leave patients (especially girls) without options. "

Currently, many patients have their ovarian tissues frozen before treatment, which they reimplant after healing. "More than 30 children" were born after ovarian tissue freezing around the world, according to figures from the Center for Human Reproduction (CRG). But if the practice is safe, there are risks: in case of heavy cancer, such as ovarian cancer or leukemia for example, it is possible that cancer cells have invaded the ovarian tissue removed and that they are, done, reimplanted into the body. The disease can reappear.

958 follicles collected from 286 women

On the basis of this finding, researchers have developed artificial ovaries, a better alternative to infertility caused by some heavy treatments according to them. For this, they stripped the ovarian tissue of all its cells, including hidden cancer cells, leaving a bare tissue made largely of collagen. They then seeded it with hundreds of follicles, cells containing the oocyte which was released during ovulation.

A total of 958 follicles were collected from 286 women, with an average age of 28 years (16 to 43 years). The number of follicles collected from each woman ranged from 1 to 13 (mean of 3.3 follicles / patient, median 3.0). The fluid was centrifuged and immediately stored at -80 ° C or, in some cases, instantly frozen in liquid nitrogen. Their study, published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, was presented Monday at the annual meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology in Barcelona.

"Exciting" results

Susanne Pors, one of the researchers, explained how the team managed to implant an artificial ovary containing 20 human follicles in a mouse and that a quarter of them survived for at least three weeks. During this time, the blood vessels began to grow around the ovary. If this study is a breakthrough, Susanne Pors said "it will take many years before the experiment is conducted on a woman.It takes five to 10 years of work to make the artificial ovaries ready." 19659006] Nick Macklon, medical director at the London Women's Clinic, told The Guardian that although the risk of getting cancer from frozen ovarian tissue again was low, the risk was real. "We can not do this because of this concern in some cases," he said, praising the "exciting" results of this promising study. Stuart Lavery, consulting gynecologist at Hammersmith Hospital, added, "It will be very rebaduring, if this work comes to fruition, that patients can receive the transplant knowing there is no risk of reintroducing cancer." The doctors therefore seem unanimous as to the innovative and revolutionary character of this advance.