Kisspeptin triggers egg maturation in women undergoing IVF treatment This video describes the results of research carried out by Professor Dhillo's team at Imperial College which has shown for the first time in women with infertility that the novel hormone kisspepti... By: Imperial College London … Continue reading →

Researchers have successfully used a new and potentially safer method to stimulate ovulation in women undergoing IVF treatment. Twelve babies have been born after their mothers were given an injection of the natural hormone kisspeptin to make their eggs mature. Doctors normally administer another hormone, hCG, for this purpose, but in some women, there is a risk that this can overstimulate the ovaries, with potentially life-threatening consequences. Scientists at Imperial College London and clinicians at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust tested the new method in 53 healthy volunteers at Hammersmith Hospital in London. The study, funded by the Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research and the Wellcome Trust, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. One in six couples in the UK experiences infertility, and 48,147 women underwent IVF treatment in 2011. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) affects around a third of IVF patients in a mild form, causing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Less than 10 per cent of patients experience moderate or severe OHSS, which can cause kidney failure. Professor Waljit Dhillo, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, who led the study, said: "OHSS is a major medical problem. It can … Continue reading →

"We took part because we wanted to pay it forward in return for the people who made it possible for us to have a child through IVF," said his mother Alison Harper, 31, of Hertfordshire. "I went through several cycles of IVF previously but the one in the trial was the least uncomfortable - it was less painful and I felt less swollen. One in six couples in the UK experiences infertility, and 48,147 women underwent IVF treatment in 2011. Scientists tested the new method in 53 healthy volunteers at Hammersmith Hospital in London last year. Kisspeptin is a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates the release of other reproductive hormones inside the body. Unlike HCG, which remains in the blood for a long time after an injection, kisspeptin is broken down more quickly, meaning the risk of overstimulation is lower. The women in the study had a single injection of kisspeptin to induce ovulation. Mature eggs developed in 51 out of 53 participants. Forty-nine women had one or two fertilised embryos transferred to the uterus, and 12 became pregnant, which is a good outcome compared to standard conventional IVF therapy. Professor Waljit Dhillo, from the Department of Medicine, said: It's … Continue reading →

Researchers could have just made IVF - an assisted fertilisation therapy - treatment safer for women after successfully using a new method to stimulate ovulation. "Our study has shown that natural hormone 'kisspeptin' can be used as a physiological trigger for egg maturation in IVF therapy, said Waljit Dhillo, a professor in endocrinology and metabolism at London's Imperial College. The team have given the gift of life to 12 couples using a new injection of the natural hormone 'kisspeptin' to make their eggs mature. Currently doctors use the hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), but there is a risk that this can over-stimulate the ovaries and threaten the mother's life. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) affects around a third of IVF patients in a mild form, causing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Less than 10 percent of patients experience moderate or severe OHSS which can cause kidney failure. "OHSS is a major medical problem. It can be fatal in severe cases and it occurs in women undergoing IVF treatment who are otherwise very healthy. We really need more effective natural triggers for egg maturation during IVF treatment, and the results of this trial are very … Continue reading →

British researchers have found a new method of stimulating ovulation that may provide a safer and more effective option for women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers found that the hormone kisspeptin can be used to induce ovulation in IVF treatment, without the side effects of currently used methods. Typically, doctors use HCG, which is also a naturally occurring hormone, to stimulate ovulation during IVF. However, because the hormone directly targets the ovaries, use of HCG puts women at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and potentially life-threatening side effects. OHSS can lead to painful and swollen ovaries and side effects can include vomiting, rapid weight gain and kidney failure. One of the biggest problems in IVF is excessive stimulation of ovaries, study author Waljit Dhillo, a professor in endocrinology and metabolism at Imperial College London, told FoxNews.com. Each year, healthy women end up in the hospital and there are a number of deaths each year. Researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London studied a group of 53 women, each of whom underwent a single injection of kisspeptin to induce ovulation. Mature eggs … Continue reading →