Bone marrow stem cells may produce eggs
Finding supports new theory of mammalian reproduction and suggests new treatments for female infertility
07.28.2005 @09:25 AM Contributed by Simon Edited by Simon
Bone marrow stem cells may be the source of egg-cell generation in mammals, according to research that supports a new theory of mammalian reproduction and suggests new treatments for female infertility.
Last year, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers announced surprising findings that female mice—contrary to longstanding theories of mammalian reproductive physiology—retained the ability to make new egg cells or oocytes into adulthood.
The same investigators now report data identifying a potential source for the production of these cells: stem cells in bone marrow.
"We may be ushering in a new era in the clinical management of female infertility and menopause," says research leader Jonathan Tilly. "This could lead to new treatment approaches based not on drugs but on regenerative medicine through adult stem cells."
A news release describes the research as follows:
The group's 2004 report in Nature contradicted what had been regarded as a dogma of mammalian biology: that females are born with a limited, non-renewable supply of oocytes that are depleted throughout life. Instead the MGH team found evidence that adult female mice are constantly turning over their oocyte supply and producing new oocytes and follicles, the tiny sacs in which eggs grow. The current study was designed to reinforce the earlier findings and also to identify the source of the new oocytes.
Stacey's comment:
I have been saying this since last year and those of you who have registered with our website at www.sharkeyshealingcentre.com.au have known it too from the report Fertility Secrets REvealed which is free when you register with our website. Science is getting closer to proving the old theory of having only a certain amount of eggs as wrong and this opens up all sorts of possibility for you!! This means you are not running out of eggs necessarily, but instead may still have time to prepare you body to become pregnant and produce the healthiest eggs possible. Knowing this can significantly reduce your stress levels when trying to have a baby. And it has been shown the stress and depression can effect fertility.
