Since the first successful outcome of IVF and the birth of the first healthy baby, Luisa Brown in 1978, huge strides have been made in the treatment of male and female infertility.
Let’s check the latest data
- Did you know that modern IVF drugs are absolutely innocent regarding the possibility of developing breast, ovarian or endometrial cancer? Huge studies conducted in Europe, America and Australia that looked at the effects of drugs on hundreds of thousands of patients, have failed to establish any association with malignancy. On the contrary, some of them have come to the already known conclusion that chronic infertility patients are placed in a higher risk category than the general population and that treatment reduced the relative risk (A. Venn et all The Lancet, Vol 354, Nov 6, 1999).
- Did you know that it is now possible to scan all chromosomes with the Array-CGH method in order to choose the day that the embryo will be transferred? In this way we are able to help couples who suffer from recurrent miscarriages or implantation failures, and usually the genetic material of the foetus is found to be mainly responsible. At the same time, with the same technique of pre-implantation diagnosis, we are able screen abnormal alleles of suspicious genes and rule out rare genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy and other metabolic diseases, by choosing the normal embryos for transfer. This technique has also allowed the creation of “rescue embryos” for siblings with rare genetic diseases such as β-Mediterranean anaemia which after birth will give cells compatible for transplantation and treatment to their sick siblings. Dozens of such children have already been born in Greece and have saved their brothers and their families with their stem cells.
- Did you know that in a few years we will be able to identify which foetus is capable of implantation with the technique of preimplantation diagnosis and the identification of the genetic imprint of the foetus? Already a team of Greek scientists, in which I have the honour to participate at Genesis of Athens Clinic, took genetic material from blastocysts before implantation in the uterus and crossed it with the genetic material of the baby born in order to identify possible genes that helped implant it (Jones et al. Hum Reprod. 2008 Aug; 23 (8): 1748-59). This highly innovative discovery opens up new avenues in the identification of capable embryos for transfer.
- Did you know that French scientists have managed to generate sperm production in mice that were born azoospermic, meaning without the ability to produce any sperm? From the produced spermatozoa, pregnancies emerged which unfortunately, terminated. However, this discovery paves the way for the production of germ cells in a few years (eggs and sperm) in either azoospermic men or older women.
All of these discoveries, as well as others that will follow, open new avenues in IVF and in the treatment of intractable problems such as miscarriage, azoospermia and ovarian failure, giving courage to couples who have been struggling for years to achieve their dream of having a healthy baby.
