Researchers have achieved the first live births in a large animal using an experimental IVF method that matures highly immature eggs in the lab. The breakthrough in sheep could eventually help boost human fertility treatment options, particularly for those affected by cancer therapies.
Helen Picton at the University of Leeds and colleagues collected ovarian follicles from sheep and exposed them to a mix of hormones and growth factors. About 60 percent developed into mature eggs, of which 30 percent were fertilised to create embryos.
These embryos were implanted into 18 sheep, resulting in one female lamb born in early 2024 and four more births this year. The first lamb later gave birth to two offspring.
Picton presented the findings at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in London on 7 July. Experts not involved in the work described the results as a major advance, though further human studies are needed and could take five to 10 years to gain approval.