倫敦，9 月 15 日路透社-科學家已發現特定類型的幹細胞注入不孕的雌性大鼠可以恢復他們的卵巢的功能，未來可以應用在其它器官修復上。
本周三(9/15)於德國召開的不孕及生殖全球年會 (World Congress of Fertility and Sterility)埃及國家研究中心 Azmy 博士所領導的研究人員發表一篇, 使用間葉幹細胞 (MSCs) 注入不孕的雌性大鼠, 成功恢復其大鼠卵巢功能之研究。
"這項研究還在概念階段，要真正應用到不孕婦女還有一段很長的路要走"Azmy 說，"不過，這項動物實驗成果對於卵巢提早老化的婦女而言是一大福音, 她們可能擁有自己的孩子,這是之前完全不可能的夢。"
全世界四十歲以下女性約有 1%罹患卵巢早衰症 (premature ovarian failure,POF) — — 通常是因為卵巢更年期提早老化所致。患者通常停止排卵和分泌卵巢激素，目前還沒有可以恢復生育的治療。
Azmy團隊以 60 隻雌性大鼠進行研究, 分成四組, 其中三組投予卵巢老化藥物, 一組正常。卵巢老化的三組中, 一組注入幹細胞, 一組投予安慰劑(生理食鹽水), 一組完全不治療, 研究人員測試四組大鼠體內的荷爾蒙水準。
驚人的是, 兩個星期後注入幹細胞的大鼠完全恢復卵巢功能, 八個星期後他們的荷爾蒙水準跟正常雌鼠的卵巢功能是一樣的。
"這項研究觀察到幹細胞可以恢復卵巢功能, 正常運作, 下一步是看這些大鼠是否可以順利懷孕生下下一胎，"Azmy 說。
Stem cells restore ovary function in rat study
LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Scientists have found that injecting a particular type of stem cells into infertile female rats can restore the function of their ovaries, and say their findings could pave the way for a similar treatment for humans.
The researchers, led by Osama Azmy of the National Research Centre in Cairo, Egypt, used a type of embryonic rat stem cells known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to restore ovary function in experimental rats.
"This is proof of concept, and there is still a long way to go before we can apply this to women," Azmy said in a report of the findings, which were presented at the World Congress of Fertility and Sterility in Germany on Wednesday.
"Nevertheless, this work holds out the possibility that women with premature ovarian failure might be able to bear a baby of their own."
About one percent of women under the age of 40 around the world suffer from premature ovarian failure (POF) -- a condition that is often referred to as "premature menopause" in which the normal functioning of the ovaries stops early.
Sufferers generally stop producing eggs and ovarian hormones, and there is as yet no treatment that can restore fertility.
Stem cells are master cells that can develop into any kind of specialised tissue in the body. The potential of different kinds of stem cells is being examined by scientists around the world for many diseases, but the technology is controversial, in part because some stem cell lines are derived from embryos or foetuses.
For their study, Azmy's team used 60 experimental female rats and gave three quarters of them a chemical which induced ovarian failure. They then injected a third of these with the stem cell treatment, injected a third with a salt solution or placebo, and gave another third no treatment at all.
The researchers tested the hormone levels of all the rats to see if they returned to normal following treatment.
Within two weeks, the rats who had been treated with stem cells had regained full ovarian function and after eight weeks their hormone levels were the same as the rats who did not have ovarian failure.
"What we have done is proven that we can restore apparently fully-functioning ovaries in rats. The next step is to look how these rats might reproduce," Azmy said. (Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Matthew Jones)
