Ovaries replenish eggs, study suggests

[wdlove]

In a finding that could someday revolutionize fertility treatments, researchers yesterday reported evidence that appears to topple a decades-old tenet of reproductive biology: that girls are born with all the eggs they'll ever have, a pool that dwindles and degenerates with age.

Rather, the Massachusetts General Hospital researchers say in the journal Nature, experiments show that -- in mice, at least -- females keep producing eggs through their lives, much as males continue producing sperm.

If the findings are confirmed and hold true for humans, they could eventually lead to previously undreamed-of methods to prolong women's fertility and postpone menopause, said Dr. Jonathan L. Tilly, the paper's senior author.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/11/ovaries_replenish_eggs_study_suggests/

 

[themadchemist]

That's really interesting...I look forward to seeing some whether future studies corroborate this.

 

[MOFS]

In a finding that could someday revolutionize fertility treatments, researchers yesterday reported evidence that appears to topple a decades-old tenet of reproductive biology: that girls are born with all the eggs they'll ever have, a pool that dwindles and degenerates with age.

Rather, the Massachusetts General Hospital researchers say in the journal Nature, experiments show that -- in mice, at least -- females keep producing eggs through their lives, much as males continue producing sperm.

If the findings are confirmed and hold true for humans, they could eventually lead to previously undreamed-of methods to prolong women's fertility and postpone menopause, said Dr. Jonathan L. Tilly, the paper's senior author.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/11/ovaries_replenish_eggs_study_suggests/

This is really interesting, but it raises a few ethical questtions...

1) Does a woman have an automatic right to have children?

NB: This is purely on biological means - I mean, I'm not saying that so called "unfit women to have children" should be not allowed children. More like, if a woman can't anatomically/physiologically have children without medical fertility intervention, should she automatically have the right to fertility treatment?

PS(!): BTW, the same goes for a man's right to father a child for the reasons mentioned above...just in case anyone thinks I'm being sexist!

2) No doubt this treatment would be very expensive (considering its forcing the body to do something it can't do in such an extreme way). Is it right that we should spend so much money on what would be a very expensive and risky procedure and course when (a) we already have pretty effective treatment already (HRT and in vitro fertilisation spring readily to mind) and (b) we could improve the lives of people with chronic and life-shortening syndromes such as diabetes mellitus?

Just my 2p!

 

[Dros]

Interestingly, the recent Korean human clones were made by taking these follicle cells that surround the ovary. It only worked with these cells, and only if the cell and nucleus came from the same person. Makes me wonder if the cloning relied on the special nature of these cells.

 

[wdlove]

I found this to be a very interesting study. If this proves to be true in humans, then it will overturn long held beliefs.

 

[Counterfit]

Is it right that we should spend so much money on what would be a very expensive and risky procedure and course when (a) we already have pretty effective treatment already (HRT and in vitro fertilisation spring readily to mind) and (b) we could improve the lives of people with chronic and life-shortening syndromes such as diabetes mellitus?

Just my 2p!

Or would it be right to bring yet another person into a world where not everyone can be fed? How far will people go before they decide to adopt?

 

[tpjunkie]

this study, if proven true would totally overthrow a long held biological dogma of mammalian development...This is stuff we were taught since freshman biology in high school, so its a pretty huge finding

 

[rueyeet]

Yeesh! you mean I'm not halfway rid of them all? Rats!

Talk about unfit to reproduce: I've considered donating my eggs, since I don't plan to use them, but my genes are saddled with: early-onset arthritis, bad eyesight, a whole host of allergies, and predispositions to hypoglycemia, thyroid trouble, and alchoholism. And that's not even going into the poor coordination and social skills (yep, a classic nerd here).

I would cringe to pass my DNA on to the next generation. Absolutely cringe.

 

[wdlove]

Yeesh! you mean I'm not halfway rid of them all? Rats!

Talk about unfit to reproduce: I've considered donating my eggs, since I don't plan to use them, but my genes are saddled with: early-onset arthritis, bad eyesight, a whole host of allergies, and predisposition's to hypoglycemia, thyroid trouble, and alcoholism. And that's not even going into the poor coordination and social skills (yep, a classic nerd here).

I would cringe to pass my DNA on to the next generation. Absolutely cringe.

I applaud your decision not to donate your eggs, when you realized what would be passed on to the next generation. I certainly hope that you are not afflicted by the above listed illnesses.

 

[hvfsl]

this study, if proven true would totally overthrow a long held biological dogma of mammalian development...This is stuff we were taught since freshman biology in high school, so its a pretty huge finding

I always believed women kept on producing eggs through life, I only heard of the theory where women dont produce anymore eggs after they are born, here. I guess I did not pay much attention in Science class.

 

[wdlove]

I always believed women kept on producing eggs through life, I only heard of the theory where women dont produce anymore eggs after they are born, here. I guess I did not pay much attention in Science class.

If this is proven to be true, it will throw a long held believed fact out the window. This was taught as fact in all of the courses if took.