University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers have developed a cheaper and less invasive alternative to traditional fertility treatments that is now available at Sydney’s Royal Hospital for women.
In vitro fertilisation or IVF has been the established treatment for infertility for a long time. However, this method is expensive, and to stimulate egg growth before extraction, it requires patients to inject follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH) that can inflict significant discomfort and cause some medical complications.
UNSW’s newly developed alternative to IVF, CAPA in vitro maturation (CAPA-IVM), involves retrieving immature eggs from the ovaries and maturing them outside the body, demanding fewer hormone injections at a lower cost. The treatment was developed by Prof. Robert Gilchrist from UNSW Medicine & Health in Sydney, and Prof. Johan Smitz from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Brussels, Belgium….