New discovery 'could improve IVF success rates'

A women's health research team at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has made a discovery they think could improve in vitro fertilisation (IVF) success rates in the future.

The scientists have identified a molecule called Cdk1, which has a key role in the maturation of eggs.

Currently, IVF cannot help women who are unable to conceive because their ova never develop fully enough, but it is hoped the findings of the new study, which has been published in the journal Human Molecualar Genetics, can help.

Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Gothenburg Kui Liu and his team have so far been performing investigations on mice.

"We are eager to start tests on human eggs. Hopefully we can apply this in clinics within ten years" he stated.

Researchers at the University College Dublin's Conway Institute in Ireland recently found "clear metabolic differences" between the follicular fluid around ova that will result in pregnancy and those that will not, which could help clinicians predict the success of IVF.