Researchers have known for more than half a century that sperm is able to fertilize an egg only after it has resided for a period of time in the female reproductive tract. Without this specific interaction with the female body, the sperm is incapable of producing offspring. But until now there was very little understanding of what changes occur within the sperm that suddenly allows it to fertilize an egg.

In the Journal of Proteome Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Mark Platt reveals the molecular-level changes that occur within sperm after it enters the female reproductive tract. His findings provide important clues into the still-mysterious process of capacitation, the process by which sperm acquire the ability to fertilize an egg, including why some otherwise healthy males might encounter fertility issues. His research may also offer insight required to develop an entirely new contraceptive, even a male version of the birth control pill.

“Much has been done to understand capacitation, but with the tools that we have within the lab we can now identify how specific sites on individual proteins are modified during this process,” said Platt. “With this knowledge we can develop a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms required to provide sperm with fertilizing competence.”

“Based upon some of our additional work, a few of these sites appear to be essential to carrying out the process of capacitation,” Platt said

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Tags : Conception, fertility, infertility, male

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who eat healthier diets may also have healthier sperm, new research from Spain shows.

“A healthy, well-balanced diet is not just important for preventing diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, or hypertension, but it may be useful for preserving or improving your reproductive health too,” Dr. Jaime Mendiola of the University of Murcia, the lead researcher on the study, told Reuters Health via e-mail.

A number of studies have suggested that there are links between consuming certain nutrients and male infertility, Mendiola and his team note in the journal Fertility and Sterility. They had previously investigated the relationship between consumption of certain foods and semen quality, and found that men who ate more dairy products and more meat, and less lettuce, tomatoes, and fruit, were more likely to have poor semen quality.

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Tags : fertility, male

by Anna Swindle
June 04, 2009

Dr. Marybeth Gerrity began her career researching ways to prevent pregnancy. But for years she’s helped pioneer options to increase fertility for women and men – from making test tube babies to keeping fertility an option for cancer patients.

“For me it was a perfect transition because I had reached a point in my academic research where I really wanted to see more tangible results of what I was doing,” said Gerrity, executive director of Northwestern University’s Oncofertility Consortium. “I wanted to see the work I was doing be more translatable.”

Joining the world of fertility research in the late 1970s, when the science was just beginning to take off, Gerrity has been a key player in the field’s development. At that point, only three to five percent of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles resulted in a baby.

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Tags : fertility, ivf

NEW YORK, June 4, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —-California Cryobank, a leader in reproductive tissue banking, announced today the opening of its first off-site collection center at Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA) of New York, a full service fertility treatment center. The off-site collection center will provide fertility preservation services to patients in the New York metropolitan area.

Known worldwide for outstanding donor semen services, California Cryobank also provides fertility preservation services to men who are faced with a variety of fertility jeopardizing circumstances including: cancer treatments, vasectomies, or those in the military or other high-risk occupations.

Each year, nearly 70,000 young adults face the possibility of losing their fertility due to cancer and cancer-related treatments. Many are uninformed as to the risk to their fertility and their reproductive options. Through the Fertile Future preservation program, California Cryobank hopes to raise awareness within both the patient and medical communities. California Cryobank’s Fertile Future campaign includes partnerships with several non-profit organizations for young adults affected by cancer, including: I’m Too Young For This!, Fertile Hope, and My Vision Foundation.

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Tags : Add new tag, fertility, infertility, male

by Monica Derevjanikand Mary Squillace
May 13, 2009

Twelve thousand women participated in an online study on fertility facts, and only one woman answered all 15 questions correctly. Now one woman has launched a campaign using “martinis” and manicures to change that statistic.

“It’s a mind blow to me that women don’t understand and have not been given that good of information about the biological clock,” said Corey Whelan, the program director for the New York City-based American Fertility Association. “Most infertility can be avoided if women simply know the truth about when their body is no longer willing to cooperate.”

That’s why Whelan, 53, created the Manicures and Martinis Infertility Prevention Program—a national series of events where women can gather to sip non-alcoholic “fertiltinis,” get their nails done and ask fertility experts about how to prevent infertility. Fifty women attended the Chicago event Tuesday night at River North’s Allyu salon.

One of those women was 28-year-old physical therapist Janna Miller, who attended the event after hearing that her friend was using holistic methods to boost her fertility.

“I learned that my husband’s supplements that he’s taking could affect his fertility in the future,” she said.

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Tags : Conception, female, fertility, infertility

ORLANDO, Fla., May 28 /PRNewswire/ — In an economy where companies are cutting back and reducing benefits, Conceive honors the 50 Best Companies across the country that offer superior family-building benefits, including fertility treatment and adoption assistance.

For the third year in a row, Conceive, a national publication devoted to pre-pregnancy health and fertility, has ranked the top companies in America that continue to help employees build their families. The top 10 for 2009 includes Citizens Financial Group/RBS Americas, Arnold & Porter, Baker & McKenzie, Barilla America, the Boston Consulting Group, Deutsche Bank, Exceptional Software Strategies Inc., Harvard University, Kozy Shak Enterprises, and National Futures Association.

Based on a one- to four-star ranking system, the companies that received the most stars were those that offer more than $100,000 for ART (assisted reproductive technologies, including IVF) or $60,000 for treatment combined with generous paid leave. And for the adoption criteria, four stars went to companies that give more than $15,000 toward the adoption of a child (or $10,000 combined with a very generous paid leave for adoptive primary caregivers).

“Fertility treatments and adoptions can be costly. In the current economic climate we applaud those companies who recognize how important it is to help employees build their families,” says Kim Hahn, founder of Conceive.

To find Conceive’s 50 Best Fertility-Friendly and Adoption-Friendly Companies for 2009, surveys were sent out to over 200 companies. Leads and suggestions also came in from blogs and Internet postings at places such as INCIID (The InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination Inc.), readers’ tips, and industry leaders and nonprofit organizations.

The complete 50 Best Companies listing and story are available at http://conceiveonline.com/fifty-best.

About Conceive:

Published five times a year, Conceive provides advice and tips on all aspects of fertility and family planning, including health, fitness, medicine, and lifestyle. Conceive is available at ob/gyn offices nationwide, as well as Babies ‘R’ Us and national bookstores. Also available from Conceive are three new books: The Fertility Journal: A Day-by-Day Guide to Getting Pregnant, Fertility Facts: Hundreds of Tips for Getting Pregnant, Cooking to Conceive (available for pre-order at www.chroniclebooks.com), and the weekly online podcast Conceive On-Air hosted by Kim Hahn.

Website: http://www.conceiveonline.com

Tags : adoption, fertility

The couple, of Cambridge Road, Silksworth, had been trying for a family for three years when Abigail was born on their fourth attempt at IUI.

Deborah, 34, said: “We are eternally grateful to the unit. If it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have Abigail. They have been absolutely brilliant.”

Deborah, a display manager at Joplings, and Peter, 34, an electrician for Sunderland Council, have been together for eight years after meeting through friends.

They married in 2005 and started trying for a family the same year.

Deborah said: “I come from a big family. I’ve always wanted a baby. We’d been trying and trying and it wasn’t happening.”

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Tags : Conception, fertility, infertility

Ten percent of modern couples have difficulty conceiving within the first year of trying for a baby here in the U.S. Many turn to natural health modalities and remedies as a complement or alternative to fertility treatments such as assisted reproductive technologies.

It makes sense that a healthy body, mind and spirit will make the best sanctuary to conceive and carry a baby. Complementary and alternative medicine focuses on the person, not the disease or diagnosis. This can often be a great thing for women who are going to the infertility clinic many times and lose the sense of individuality when all the doctor wants to talk about are statistics and tests.

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Tags : fertility, natural

March 9 (Bloomberg) — Children of older fathers have lower intelligence scores than those born to younger men, perhaps because of cumulative damage to men’s sperm during their lives, Australian and U.S. researchers found.

Children born to fathers who were age 20 scored an average of 2 points higher on an IQ test than children born to 50-year- old fathers, according to the study of data collected on 33,437 children from 1959 through 1965. Average IQ among children dropped steadily on a number of tests as their fathers’ ages rose, according to the research published today in Public Library of Science, Medicine, an online journal.

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Tags : Conception, fertility, male

Two research teams with collaborators from the Warren Alpert Medical School and the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island have received grants to study fertility and pregnancy risks.

Funded by the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, the grants are designed to encourage collaborative research and development within the state, according to the hospital’s Feb. 23 press release.

This year, the council awarded grants to seven Rhode Island teams working in a variety of fields. Each team received approximately $200,000 in research funding.

One team - a collaboration between Associate Professor of Medical Science and Engineering Jeffrey Morgan, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Sandra Carson and Assistant Professor of Engineering Anubhav Tripathi - will use a 3-D Petri dish technology previously developed by Morgan and colleagues to create an “artificial ovary” that could be used to preserve the fertility of women undergoing certain medical treatments.

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Tags : fertility, research