שחלה-לא הלעלות

מדענים הצליחו ליצור עוברים משחלות שלמות של כבשה שהוקפאו והופשרו.

פריצת הדרך פותחת את האפשרות בפעם הראשונה לשמור שחלות שלמות של נשים הסובלות מבעיות עקרות.

למרות שקטעים מרקמות של שחלות
Although fragments of ovarian tissue have been frozen and transplanted before, doctors agree it would be better to use whole ovaries.

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Join the debate » An important advantage is that removing the whole ovary preserves vital blood vessels which otherwise have to re-grow.

The Israeli team led by Dr Amir Arav, from the Agricultural Research Organisation in Bet Dagan, removed and froze ovaries from eight sheep.

Attempts to thaw and re-implant the ovaries back into the animals resulted in five successful transplantations. Eggs obtained from two of these sheep subsequently produced six embryos.

Dr Arav said: "This approach could revolutionise the field of cryopreservation for diverse human applications, such as organ transplants, as well as helping women who face the loss of their fertility."

Two babies have already been born after their mothers were given transplants of frozen and thawed ovarian tissue. The first birth, which made headlines around the world, was announced by Belgian doctors in September last year.

Quarda Touirat had tissue from one of her ovaries removed, cut up, and frozen in liquid nitrogen seven years earlier before undergoing chemotherapy that made her infertile.

Dr Arav's new research was published today in the journal Human Reproduction. His team said they studied sheep because their ovaries are similar to humans.