|
Highlights
from Fertility and Sterility
Limited
Choices and Difficult Decisions for Patients with Frozen Embryos
In the
largest, multisite study of fertility patients’ preferences for
the future fate of their frozen embryos, researchers found that
patients often prefer options that are not available to them and
find existing options less than acceptable.
Anne Drapkin Lyerly, MD of Duke University Medical Center led a
group of professionals surveying patients from nine
geographically diverse fertility centers in the United States.
One thousand and twenty individuals, women and men who had
cryopreserved embryos in storage, answered a questionnaire
addressing the likelihood of their choosing among seven options
for their unneeded embryos. Five of the embryo disposition
options were conventional: store for future reproduction; thaw
and discard; donate to another couple; keep frozen indefinitely;
and donate for research. Two options characterized as
alternative were not actually offered at any of the clinics
whose patients were surveyed: transfer to the woman’s body at an
infertile time and a disposal ceremony. The patients also
answered questions about their desire to have more children or
not and considerations and concerns informing their choice of
embryo disposition options.
Most of the respondents (54%) said that they were very likely to
use their embryos for future reproduction and 21% were very
likely to donate them for research. Seven percent or fewer were
very likely to choose any other option.
Of the respondents who were certain that they did not want
another baby (193 individuals), 41% considered research donation
a very likely option, while only 16% considered reproductive
donation a very likely option and 12% saw thaw and discard as a
very likely option.
The considerations that most influenced patients’ preferences
included: wanting to help find cures for diseases; not wanting
someone else to raise one’s genetic child; the feeling that
thawing and discarding embryos is wasteful; and one’s partner’s
opinion about what to do with the embryos.
In analyzing the data, the researchers found that nearly half of
the stored embryos were not, at the time of the survey, intended
to be used for reproduction, but that the alternatives were not
especially appealing to patients, who tended to prefer options
not generally available- like research donation- and reject
options that are available- such as reproductive donation and
thawing and discarding embryos.
Certain demographic factors were predictive of patients’ plans
for their embryos. Childless patients were highly likely to
intend to use their embryos for a future pregnancy. Patients who
had stored their embryos for five years or more were more likely
to express the intention to thaw and discard them or to keep
them frozen indefinitely than those who had embryos in storage
for a shorter period of time.
“Patients preparing for an IVF cycle are completely focused on
the immediate goal of achieving pregnancy,” noted Elizabeth
Ginsburg, MD, President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive
Technology. “As clinicians, we need to give patients more
information and more real choices concerning what they can do
with the embryos that may remain after they complete their
families. It’s a difficult decision that patients have to make
but we can help them by discussing with new patients the
ramifications of embryo freezing and by regularly reminding
patients who have stored embryos of the choices available to
them.”
Lyerly et al, Fertility patients’ views about frozen embryo
disposition: results of a multi-institutional U.S. survey,
Fertility and Sterility, in press December 4, 2008.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, founded in 1944,
is an organization of over 8000 physicians, researchers, nurses,
technicians and other professionals dedicated to advancing
knowledge and expertise in reproductive biology. Affiliated
societies include the Society for Assisted Reproductive
Technology, the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, the
Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and the
Society of Reproductive Surgeons.
Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Damages Eggs, Impairs Embryo
Development
Cigarette smoke has deleterious effects on the health and
development of eggs and embryos. Doctors from Florida and China
collaborated on a study using mice as a model to test the
hypothesis that smoking induces oxidative stress, cell death and
dysfunction, and the shortening of telomeres- the DNA at the
ends of chromosomes that protect them from degradation.
The researchers found that, while similar numbers of eggs were
collected from exposed, subject mice and control mice, the eggs
of mice exposed to cigarette smoke or cigarette smoke condensate
(CSC) for four weeks were more likely than the controls’ to show
increased fragmentation and delayed fertilization, resulting in
impaired embryo development in vitro. The fragmented eggs also
showed oxidative stress and embryos from mice exposed to smoke
or CSC four weeks before fertilization were more likely to
contain dead cells and altered expression of Oct4, a protein
that plays a crucial role in the formation of blastocycts with a
functional inner cell mass.
The relationship between cigarette smoke or CSC and embryo
development was dependant on the length of time animals were
exposed. However, embryos exposed to smoke for as little as four
days showed reduced telomere length in cells and decreased
blastocyst development, suggesting that embryos may be more
sensitive to smoke-induced oxidative stress than eggs.
“Here is even more evidence demonstrating the dreadful effects
smoking has on reproductive tissues and function. While there
are some data implying that the effects may not be permanent,
every woman planning to become pregnant would be wise to quit
smoking or, better yet, never start,” advises William Gibbons,
MD, President-Elect of ASRM.
Huang et al, Effect of cigarette smoke on fertilization and
embryo transfer. Fertility and Sterility in press, November
2008.
HIGHLIGHTS
FROM THE 64th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR
REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE
Specialized Assisted Reproductive Services are Effective for
HIV-Infected Patients Who Want to Have Children, but These
Services Are Not Usually Available at Smaller Clinics
San
Francisco, California
– Many of the estimated six million people in the US infected
with HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV) or Hepatitis C (HCV) are of
reproductive age. Those desiring to have children and minimize
the possibility of passing their virus to their offspring need
access to specialized advanced reproductive technologies.
Researchers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
found that while services are available, they are most likely to
be delivered at larger clinics. To gauge availability, they sent
a survey to 370 assisted reproductive technology (ART) programs
listed on the website of the Centers for Disease Control.
Forty-seven programs responded, with 13 reporting that they
offered no services for patients infected with HIB, HBV, and HCV.
Seven more clinics did not treat patients with HIV. Generally,
the clinics which did not offer treatment options for
virally-infected patients were smaller and cited a lack of
appropriate equipment.
In Canada, HIV positive couples and individuals have access to
advanced reproductive technologies at more than half of
fertility clinics; but the more technically demanding the
service, the more difficult it is to obtain.
Mark Yudin, MD and his colleagues in Toronto sent surveys to all
28 fertility clinics in Canada. Twenty responded, with 16
clinics being willing to serve HIV-positive patients, four
unwilling.
Of the 16 clinics, 12 had seen one or more HIV-positive male or
female in the previous year. Sixty percent of clinics responding
(12/20) offered intrauterine insemination (IUI) when the woman
was HIV-positive and donor sperm for HIV-positive females – 30%
(6/20) offered sperm washing for HIV-positive males – and 20%
(4/20) offered IVF for couples with an HIV-positive female.
In New York, doctors at Columbia University report on their
successful multidisciplinary approach to providing IVF for
HIV-positive women. Before starting ovulation induction,
patients are required to go through an extensive evaluation of
their disease and overall health, a psychosocial evaluation, and
a consultation with a specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine who
has a special interest in HIV. The program has also adapted its
surgical and lab protocols to isolate potentially infectious
tissues, using a separate operating room for retrievals, and
removing granulosa cells that surround the eggs which can harbor
blood.
Forty patients, from 27 to 42 years old, who had been diagnosed
with HIV an average of 7 years earlier, were evaluated – 25 were
treated. Most were on highly active antiretroviral therapy and
their HIV levels were undetectable prior to starting fertility
treatment. Of the eight women who had ovulation induction and
IUI, four became pregnant and delivered babies. Seventeen women
had IVF with 10 becoming pregnant and seven delivering; three of
the IVF pregnancies ended in miscarriage. All of the babies,
tested at birth, three months and six months are HIV-negative.
David Adamson, MD, President of ASRM remarked, “For most
patients HIV is a manageable, chronic disease and HIV- positive
men and women live full lives which can include the joys of
parenthood. The Columbia program is a good example of what can
be achieved when reproductive specialists partner with their
colleagues in maternal-fetal medicine and infectious disease
specialists. With the participation of all of these specialties,
we can help patients become parents and prevent the transmission
of virus to infants.”
·
O-120
Diaz et al –
Assisted Reproductive Technologies Available to Individuals with
Human Immunodeficiency Virus and other Communicable Diseases
·
P-810
Yudin et al –
Advanced Reproductive Technologies for HIV-Positive Individuals
and Couples in Canada
·
P-289
Douglas et al –
A Systematic, Multidisciplinary Approach to Address the
Reproductive Needs of HIV-Seropositive Women
Note: All
information is embargoed until the time of presentation at the
meeting, unless otherwise indicated.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, founded in 1944,
is an organization of more than 8,000 physicians, researchers,
nurses, technicians and other professionals dedicated to
advancing knowledge and expertise in reproductive biology.
Affiliated societies include the Society for Assisted
Reproductive Technology, the Society for Male Reproduction and
Urology, the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and
Infertility and the Society of Reproductive Surgeons.
Announcement:
University of
Oxford's new MSc in Clinical Embryology now recruiting for
October 2009 entry
This new, one year, residential, taught M.Sc. aims to provide
graduate students, scientists and clinicians with highly
advanced theoretical and practical understanding of human
reproductive biology, embryology, infertility and assisted
reproductive technology (ART) along with intensive ‘hands-on’
practical training in essential laboratory skills and the
sophisticated gamete micromanipulation techniques associated
with ART.
Source:
Bionews October 2008
Clinical
Fellowship in Andrology and Reproductive Medicine
|
|
Dr.N.Pandiyan, Chettinad Health City
20 December 2008
Objectives:
Train postgraduate students to
establish and run an efficient, cost effective and ethical
reproductive medicine unit.
At the end of the course,
candidates will
1. be able to handle
reproductive medical problems both in the male and female.
2. have good working knowledge
in the field of infertility and reproductive laboratory
services
Eligibility:
Postgraduate Degree or Diploma
in Obstetrics and Gynecology, General surgery, urology and
general medicine.
Duration:
1 year
Mode of Teaching:
Lectures, Power point
presentations and interactive sessions
Practical demonstrations
Hands on – wherever applicable
Journal club every month
Frequent examinations conducted
throughout the course. MCQ’s, Short notes and Essay type
Questions.
The students will not receive
any stipend or any other form of financial support from the
institution. However they may utilize the existing
infrastructure in the department and institution. Fellows
enrolled will not be on call in the hospital in any other
department.
|
|
|
|
From: Dr.
Howaida Hashim
Welcome to ARABLAB
2009.....
I have pleasure enclosing below details of the "
ARABLAB
2009 Seminar Program" which starts on 10th January
with over 50+ seminars covering many different aspects of
the Analytical Industry.
Please visit our website,
www.arablab.com,
and click on tab ‘Seminars’. You can then click on the
seminar you are interested in attending, and contact the
presenter direct with any questions you may have..
The Seminar Program is always very popular and very well
attended, so make sure that you make a "diary note" to
attend the ARABLAB
Show and register for the seminar on your arrival.
If you want information on hotel availability in Dubai ,
visit
www.arablab.com
and click on "THE LATEST HOTEL INFORMATION" for
current availability.
|
|
Assisted reproduction associated with elevated risk of birth
defects
A study published last week in the journal Human
Reproduction found an elevated risk of birth defects amongst
babies conceived through assisted reproductive techniques,
including IVF. The research, headed by Dr Jennita Reefhuis
of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, used
data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study to
compare the health of babies born to women who had used the
techniques with infants born to women who had conceived
naturally.
Source:
Bionews November 2008
|
|
|
|
Overweight
women more likely to miscarry healthy babies
Overweight women are at greater risk of miscarrying a
genetically normal baby in the early stages of pregnancy
than women who maintain a healthy weight, according to a new
study by scientists at the Stanford University School of
Medicine in California, US.
Source:
Bionews November 2008
|
|
|
|
Slow-frozen embryos seem to produce healthier babies in IVF
[Correction]
Three new independent studies have provided further evidence
that embryos stored using slow-freezing techniques may be
better than fresh for IVF. The studies were presented at the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in San
Francisco, US, last week. The studies indicate that using
frozen embryos rather than fresh embryos reduces the risk of
stillbirth and premature delivery.
Source:
Bionews November 2008
|
|
|
|
Child
born following whole ovary transplant
|
|
A
39-year old woman has become the first to give birth
following a whole ovary transplant. Susanne Butscher
received an intact ovary from her fertile twin sister
last year, during a landmark operation carried out by Dr
Sherman Silber of the Infertility Centre of St Louis,
Missouri US. Mrs Butscher became infertile after her
ovaries failed at the age of 15. To date, eight women
have given birth subsequent to receiving small sections
of ovarian tissue. Yet this - the ninth case - has been
lauded as a pioneering achievement in infertility
treatment.
The birth of baby Maja last week should be celebrated,
according to Dr Silber, during what he has labelled an
'infertility epidemic' that in the UK alone is affecting
upwards of 100,000 women. Although a complicated
procedure (the operation involves the reattachment of
arteries one third of a millimetre in diameter), the
transplant renews the ability to conceive naturally. It
also restores hormone levels to those necessary for
driving the menstrual cycle. Such hormones, like
oestrogen and progesterone, also protect against
osteoporosis.
Nonetheless, the majority of women affected by an early
menopause are unlikely to have a fertile twin sister
capable of donating an ovary. This would be necessary in
order to avoid donor-rejection of foreign tissue, and to
circumvent the need for immuno-suppressive drugs. But Dr
Silber claims that, from a social perspective, it will
be an attractive option for women wishing to extend
fertility into their forties and fifties, perhaps to
favour a career. However the British Fertility Society (BFS)
is opposed to what it calls an 'unethical application'
of the operation, suggesting current methods, like egg
storage, are less problematic. Laurence Shaw, consultant
in reproductive medicine at the London Bridge Fertility
Centre, London, and spokesperson for the BFS, said: 'I
would have thought that the long-term freeze-storing of
an ovary would cause as much harm as the deterioration
due to age itself'.
The BFS instead endorses a more practical application of
the operation. Women that face invasive cancer therapies
like radiotherapy and chemotherapy (both of which reduce
fertility) could have an ovary frozen pending an
improvement in their condition. In such cases, ovary
storage could be more suitable than egg extraction, as
egg follicles must first be matured through a lengthy
hormone treatment, causing unwanted delays to
chemotherapy.
Resource: Bionews
November 2008
|
|
|
|
|
Acupuncture does not increase chance of IVF conception:
further evidence
Two new studies have found that acupuncture does not
increase the chances of conception through IVF.
The first study was conducted by
Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago, and was presented at
the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in
San Francisco, and the second was published in the journal
Human Reproduction.
For the Prentice Women's Hospital study, led by Irene Moy,
124 women were split into two groups. One group was given
real acupuncture, while the other was given 'sham'
acupuncture, both before and after embryo implantation. The
patients undergoing sham acupuncture had needles inserted
into the body, but not at known acupuncture points. Of the
women taking part in the study, 43.9% given genuine
acupuncture conceived, while 55.2% of those given sham
acupuncture conceived.
The study published in Human Reproduction took place at the
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University
of Hong Kong, where real and sham acupuncture was given to
370 patients. In this study the sham acupuncture used a
placebo needle, which gave the appearance and sensation of
piercing the skin, but was blunt and retracted into the
handle of the needle when pressed on the skin. The ensuing
pregnancy rate for sham acupuncture patients was 55.1%
versus 43.8% for real acupuncture.
Source:
Bionews, November 2008
|
|
|
|
'No-drugs' IVF just as
effective for under 35's
A new method of assisted conception has been hailed as a
safer and equally effective alternative to IVF for certain
groups of women undergoing treatment.
The Oxford Fertility Centre revealed
this week that of the 40 women they treated between February
2007 and March 2008 with in-vitro maturation (IVM), the nine
successful cases were all among the 27 women under 35; a
success rate of 33 per cent. Conventional IVF has a 31 per
cent success rate for this group of women.
IVM does not require the powerful hormonal drugs used in IVF
which stimulate the ovaries to produce mature eggs; instead,
immature eggs are removed without the use of drugs and
matured in the laboratory before being fertilised. As fewer
drugs are used, the cost of IVM would be significantly less
than IVF, £1,700 compared with around £4,300.
The IVM process promises to be safer than IVF because it
does not risk the potentially fatal ovarian hyperstimulation
syndrome (OHSS), a build up of fluid in the lungs and
abdomen sometimes triggered by the hormonal drugs involved.
This news will be particularly welcome to women with
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects 10 to 20 per
cent of women, and who are at higher risk of developing OHSS.
'Unstimulated IVM treatment is a viable alternative to
standard IVF for women under 35 years of age who have
ovaries of a polycystic morphology', said Dr Tim Child, of
the Oxford Fertility Centre, who presented the research at
the American Society of Reproductive Medicine conference in
San Francisco. 'IVM avoids the potentially fatal
complication of OHSS in this at-risk patient group.' Dr
Child attributed the significant improvement in success
rates for IVM to better laboratory procedures and patient
selection. 'I'm not sure we will ever get better than IVF
but the aim is to achieve the same success rate', he said.
Another patient group who may benefit from IVM is
cancer
patients due to undergo chemotherapy. Tumours can be
worsened by the hormonal drugs used in IVF, whereas the
removal and storage of immature eggs in the IVM process
would not adversely affect cancer patients and enable them
to use their stored eggs once in remission.
Geeta Nargund from St George's Hospital in South London said
that the technique is not appropriate for older women since
fewer eggs remain in their ovaries. Many eggs fail to mature
in the laboratory and so a higher number of eggs are needed
to begin with.
Source: Bionews November 2008
|
|
|
|
Screening embryos
before IVF improves success rate
The first trial of a procedure which selects IVF embryos
with the best chance of developing into healthy babies was
presented last week at the American Society for Reproductive
Medicine conference in San Francisco.
Source: Bionews Nov. 2008
Girl
or boy? It's in dad's genes
|
|
Alison Cranage
Progress Educational Trust
16 December 2008
[BioNews,
London]
New research hints that whether a man has sons or
daughters is influenced by his genes. The study, by Mr
Correy Gellatly from Newcastle University, was published
in the journal Evolutionary Biology last week.
Mr Gellatly looked at 927 family trees from Europe and
North America, detailing over 556,387 people, dating
back to 1600. He observed that a man with many brothers
is more likely to have sons, while a man with many
sisters is likely to have more daughters. This effect
was not seen in women.
The sex of a baby is determined by its father's sperm,
an 'X' sperm (after the version of the sex chromosome it
carries) makes a girl and a 'Y' sperm a boy. Mr Gellatly
hypothesises that there is a gene, only active in males
but a version of which is inherited from both parents,
which determines the ratio of X and Y sperm a man
produces.
He also suggests such a gene could explain the increase
in baby boys being born after World War I. Mr Gellatly
explains that the odds were in favour of men with more
sons seeing a son return from the war. This would mean
such men were likely to have sons, a trait inherited
from their father. In contrast men with more daughters
may have lost their only sons in the war, and those sons
would have been more likely to father girls.
Other explanations have been proposed as to why the
birth rate is not 50:50 in certain couples. It has been
suggested that the sex of a baby could be influenced by
differences in the time in a woman's monthly cycle sex
happens, or the amount of time sperm spends in the
testicles. Mr Galletly's study indicates there is a
genetic component.
He says the net effect of such a gene is to balance out
the population: 'If there are too many males in the
population, for example, females will more easily find a
mate, so men who have more daughters will pass on more
of their genes, causing more females to be born in
subsequent generations.'
http://www.BioNews.org.uk
BioNews@progress.org.uk |
Holding
out hope for in-vitro funding
With
Quebec covering two $10,000 infertility treatments,
Ontario's residents are looking to province for help
December 27, 2008
Tanya Talaga
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU
Premier Jean Charest
promised shortly before he was re-elected in
Quebec
last month to publicly fund two in-vitro fertilization
treatments for women unable to conceive.
Now, some Ontario residents are
holding out hope their government will follow Quebec's lead
and live up to a promise made last year.
The Liberal government, in the
November 2007 throne speech, pledged it would do all it
could to help Ontarians start a family. As a start, it
created an expert panel on infertility and adoption, a group
of nearly a dozen people touched by these issues, to examine
and recommend ways to make adoption and fertility treatment
more accessible and affordable.
The group has posted an online
survey asking for people to share their experiences until
Jan. 12 at Ontario.ca/creating families.
The panel is expected to report back to Minister of Children
and Youth Services Deb Matthews.
It is estimated one in six
Ontario couples experience fertility problems.
Ontario only pays
for in-vitro fertilization treatments – a process in which
eggs are fertilized outside the womb then transferred back –
for women with completely blocked fallopian tubes.
Some believe this funding is
discriminatory and should be amended to reflect Ontario's
universal health-care model.
"The cost is minimal compared
to some of the other stuff we do," said Dr. Matt Gysler, a
Mississauga obstetrician and gynecologist and chief of
medical staff at
Credit Valley Hospital.
One IVF treatment is roughly
$10,000.
Gysler points to
intensive care costs or the
price of cancer medications that prolong life for mere
months at a cost of $30,000.
"Intensive care, end-of-life
care, is very expensive," he said. "I'm not saying people
don't deserve that. We have no problems paying a huge amount
on that side."
But Gysler argues that children
become productive members of society. "I can't see how this
could ever become a losing prospect for society," he said in
an interview.
In Israel, the government funds
as many IVF treatments as
needed for women up to age 45; in Britain, the cost of one
treatment is funded.
In the more than 20 years
Gysler has practised medicine, he has seen a rise in
infertility because so many women delay childbirth until
they are older, more financially sound and set in good
careers.
"It is quite phenomenal in
southern
Ontario," he
said.
After age 35, fertility begins
to decline. By 43, even with IVF treatment, the chances of a
pregnancy are very slim.
Infertility takes a devastating
emotional toll on a couple, Gysler said. "People massively
underestimate the significance infertility has on those
women. When you meet them, you realize instantly this is
really a disease state," he said.
To some cultures, having
children is incredibly important, said Gysler, who, in his
practice, sees many diverse Ontarians living in the Brampton
and Mississauga area.
"Take a young Pakistani couple
who is working hard in this country – having a child is
really fundamental to their existence," he said. "I think it
is imprinted on our genetic material. The species needs to
reproduce in order to continue to exist."
After years of trying to get
pregnant, Lisa Ellies knew when she turned 35 that something
was wrong. She went through six years of various
assisted reproductive techniques,
took medications, endured inter-uterine inseminations and
had several surgeries. Finally, at 42, she became pregnant
with twins after an IVF treatment. She lost one of the
babies but gave birth to Alexa.
Last June, the Whitby mom did
one other round of IVF in a last-ditch effort to conceive.
In total, she has spent $55,000 on the procedures.
"I really do think this should
be funded," said Ellies. "I understand you need limitations
– there are women who have done 10 rounds at $100,000 and
they are still going."
On average, it takes about two
and a half IVF rounds before a woman becomes pregnant, said
Ellies, who added perhaps the government should consider
funding two or three treatments.
Toronto's Danny and Jillian
Roth went through five rounds of IVF in four years and spent
"more money than I care to remember," said Danny Roth. "You
keep thinking the next one will work," he said. But it
didn't. The couple experienced "unexplained" infertility
problems, something that affects about 10 per cent of
couples.
The Roths eventually turned to
adoption. In 2004 they adopted their son, who is now 4.
"We are thrilled the McGuinty
government made it part of the election platform and formed
the (provincial) panel," said Roth, who is both on the
Ontario panel and a board member of the Infertility
Awareness Association of Canada.
Roth never dreamed of having
infertility problems.
Most couples feel that, he
said. It is a shock when life doesn't work the way you
thought it would.
"It is all-consuming," he said.
"We know couples whose marriages didn't survive it. We know
couples who didn't buy a house because they put their money
in fertility treatments."
Roth wants infertile couples to share
their story. The infertility association hopes to collect
10,000 stories to give to Matthews and Minister of Health
David Caplan before the
release of the panel's final report. Visit
www.iaac.ca
and click on "Share Your Story."
10th
International Congress on Reproductive Biomedicine
|
|
By Kamal Alizadeh, Royan
Institute
23 December 2008
10th Congress on
Reproductive Biomedicine Sep 23-25, 2009 - Tehran - Iran
In Collaboration: Science and Technology Deputy of the
President of Islamic Republic of Iran Iranian Society of
Reproductive Medicine (ISRM) European Society of Human
Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Middle East
Fertility Society (MEFS) Dear Colleagues, Following nine
successful Royan International Congresses, tenth
congress will be held on September 23-25, 2009 in
Tehran, Iran.
During the past congresses
we observed participation of thousands of specialists,
scientists, researchers and students from all around the
world in a friendly atmosphere to exchange the knowledge
and experiences. Their warm encouragements plus their
brilliant comments and suggestions led us to increase in
scientific level and better organization of the
congress. Although the congress name is Royan, but
belongs to all scientists and doctors from all around
the world working in fields of reproduction and stem
cells, specially Iranian scientists and prominent
professors from various universities, research centers
and clinics who mostly are pioneers in the congress
fields, and without their support we could not hold it
properly. Considering all the above said experiences for
past one decade, I believe in better incoming congress
with higher scientific level. Iran is an ancient country
full of unique historical monuments and astonishing
natural landscapes. International guests have the
opportunity to get familiar with this ancient culture
along with their scientific work. There will be an
interesting social program in this regard. I must also
thank my colleagues in Royan Institute for their great
effort especially Dr. Ashraf Moini, with her science and
knowledge and great experiences for accepting the chair
of this congress, and welcome you all in advance to this
high level scientific congress. Hamid Gourabi Ph.D.
Congress President Topics: Embryology Andrology
Infertility & ART Reproductive Health & Epidemiology
Reproductive Physiology & Immunology Reproductive
Imaging Reproductive Genetics & PGD Menopause Ethics
http://www.royaninstitute.org |
|
|
