UK academics have devised a novel technique for rejuvenating ova, intended to assist older women with conception. According to The Guardian, the quality of female eggs declines with advancing age due to weakened links between chromosomes, which sharply reduces the success rate of IVF treatments.
Researchers pinpointed a crucial role for the protein Shugoshin 1 in this process. During trials on donor cells, scientists administered microinjections of this protein, which stabilized chromosome division and considerably enhanced the quality of the genetic material. “Overall, we can nearly halve the number of eggs with abnormal chromosomes. This is a very noticeable improvement,” stated Professor Meline Zhu, co-founder of Ovo Labs.
Despite the promising outcomes, the scientific community urges caution, as the technology has only been tested on a hundred samples so far, and the study has not yet undergone independent peer review. Professor Richard Anderson from the University of Edinburgh noted that the method’s specifics remain “quite rudimentary,” although the concept itself appears encouraging.
It is important to stress that the approach cannot extend fertility post-menopause. Nevertheless, it might dramatically boost the probability of success within IVF cycles, lessening the number of required attempts for older patients.
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