New methods for treating infertility

Storing eggs in the form of powder, creating eggs from skin cells, giving birth through uterine implants . are the infertility treatment technologies being studied.

Since the world's first baby was born in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Oldham (England) in 1978, the obstetrics industry has made great strides. At the end of last September, a Swedish woman gave birth to the first baby in the world to be born with a uterine transplant.

Here are the breakthroughs in reproductive technology over the past 20 years and may be useful to people in the future.

Store eggs in powder form

Women in the coming decades can store their eggs in powder form. When they want to conceive, they just need to water more water and sperm into these powdered eggs.

Currently, eggs are stored for fertilization later by freezing them in liquid nitrogen. Recently, Israeli scientists have discovered a method of egg powder with more advantages in preservation. They were successful with experiments with cow eggs. First they freeze the eggs, use less than 1/10 second for the egg to reach a temperature of -200 degrees Celsius. This time is very short, not enough for ice crystals (which can damage the cell structure of egg) formed. The frozen eggs are then kept at -55 degrees Celsius for a day at low pressure to turn into a powder, which can be stored at room temperature indefinitely.

Create eggs and sperm from skin cells

In the near future, infertile men and women can use their own stem cells to create egg and sperm cells in the laboratory. Stem cells - also called host cells - are capable of turning into many different types of cells in the body.

In a study published earlier this year, scientists at Stanford University (USA) have turned the sterile man's skin cells into stem cells and implanted into the testes of mice to become early sperm cells. This process can also be used to develop eggs. Last year Japanese scientists also turned rat skin cells into egg and sperm cells.

This in theory means that a woman does not even need to take her eggs when treating infertility, but can take a skin sample instead. Thus, the birth of a baby is no longer limited in age because if the ovary is no longer able to ovulate at the time of menopause, the skin cells are still constantly innovating.

Artificial uterine and uterine implants

Vicent, the first baby in the world with a mother who had an uterus transplant was born late last September.

Vicent baby was born thanks to uterine implantation method - (Photo: AP)

Scientists have created an artificial uterus that can nourish a developing embryo and provide all the nutrients and hormones it requires in different stages of development. me

Since 2003, a team of scientists at Cornell University (New York) has begun to cultivate embryos of mice and humans in artificial wombs.

Artificial ovaries

Scientists at the University of Browm (USA) have built an artificial ovary to develop eggs. First, they took an ovary donated to create a honeycomb-like 3D structure, then transplanted human eggs. This technology may help infertile women due to health problems of the ovaries such as endometriosis, polycystic ovaries .

In tests, artificial ovaries are capable of nourishing eggs from early follicular stages to becoming fully mature eggs - just like the real thing. It is also hoped this can help maintain the fertility of women who are treating cancer.

Penis implant

Penis implantation has been shown to be completely feasible. This technology is very useful for men who suffer from reproductive organs due to injury or disease. The first transplant in the world took place in China in 2006. A person who lost the "little boy" in the accident was transplanted with this part of a 22-year-old boy who died brain. The surgery was successful, but 15 days later, the patient had to give up the part given because of uncomfortable psychology.

From an emotional point of view, it is easier to develop a "little boy" transplant from a patient's own cell. Thus, scientists in Chicago (USA) developed penile tissue in the laboratory. Something "little boy" needs a complex nervous system to work in sexual stimulation and sex. It's a long way, but researchers have shown that tissue made of collagen is connective tissue, which can help promote the growth of new penis nerves, making it possible to work.

Technology of giving birth to children

The mammalian cloning technology initially succeeded by the birth of Dolly sheep in 1996. It was a perfect replica of the mother sheep. However, there are still many uncertainties in cloning technology when Dolly sheep short-lived, living only 6 and a half years with a series of health problems.

In 2013, in the journal Cell, a group of American and Thai scientists announced that it had successfully performed an embryonic copy of the human being.

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