Infertility Drugs Requires Beta Estrogen Receptor ß Gene at The Biotech Weblog

While it doesn't provide answers as to how infertility in women may be reversed, results form a recent study offers an explanation why infertility drugs may not work in some women. In the August issue of Endocrinology, researchers report that in mice that were genetically engineered to lack estrogen receptor beta, fertility drugs did not improve ovulation rates. "If the results from this animal study are found to be applicable to [...] Read More


Gene Mutation Causing Infertility in Male Mice at The Biotech Weblog

Cornell University researchers have identified a mutation in a gene in mice that causes male infertility. The gene, called Dmc1, provides the code for a key protein involved in meiosis, the process that produces sperm and egg cells for reproduction. These sex cells contain only one set of chromosomes that combine during conception and create an embryonic cell with two chromosome sets, one from each parent. The Dmc1 mutation causes a [...] Read More


Designer Estrogen Against Neurodegenerative Diseases at The Biotech Weblog

Photo: Healthy spinal cord tissue (left) shows a similar number of neurons (magnified in red) as the MS-infected spinal cord tissue of mice treated with a specific form of estrogen (right). Fewer neurons were found in the spinal cords of mice whose disease went untreated (center). Credit: Seema Tiwari-Woodruff/UCLA) Animal studies have indicated that a specific form of estrogen can protect the brain from degeneration associated with multiple sclerosis, without increasing [...] Read More


estrogen: safe to use for 50's women at Straightfromthedoc

In the long confusing history of hormone use during and after menopause, millions of women stopped taking estrogen after earlier research finding declared it unsafe. This time, the latest findings assure that estrogen does not increase the risk of heart disease for women in their fifties (may even be protective) and it is safe to use the hormone for short-term relief of hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. "These [...] Read More


New Book Takes The Mystery Out Of Infertility at Next Nine Months

A new book is taking the mystery out of infertility. The Fast Track to Fertility: A Modern Guide to Overcoming Infertility is written by two of the country's most respected authorities on reproduction and infertility. "Our Fast Track approach stresses accurate diagnosis and timely treatment to achieve the best results," added Dr. Scheiber. "But ultimately, the decision to build a family is a matter of the heart, and so many couples struggle [...] Read More