Segova team members publish a paper in the International Journal of Fertility & Sterility.

Objective: Premature ovarian failure (POF) can be found in 1% of women, age 35-40, mostly of unknown cause. Many genetic and external factors cause the interruption of the Hippo signalling pathway and the termination of follicular growth. In contrast, the pathway of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) plays a key role in cellular responses to cell proliferation. PI3K-Akt signalling is associated with ovarian function and the growth of primordial follicles. This study examined the effect of autologous in vitro ovarian activation with stem cells and autologous growth factors on reproductive and endocrine function in patients with ovarian impairment. Materials and methods: The study included 50 patients (between 30 and 50 years) diagnosed with POF and infertility. The study was performed at Jevremova Special Hospital in Belgrade, Sant James Hospital (Malta), and Remedica Skoplje Hospital between 2015-2018. All patients went through numerous laboratory testing, including hormonal status. The autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and growth factors were used in combination to activate ovarian tissue before its retransplantation. The software package SPSS 20.0 was used for the statistical analysis of the results. Results: Differences in FSH, LH, E2, and PG hormone concentrations before and after 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation were tested in correlation with the volume of transplanted ovarian tissue. A significant correlation (p = 0.029) was found between the change in E2 level after 3 months and the volume of retransplanted tissue. Also, after re-transplantation, 64% of patients had follicles resulting in aspiration of oocytes in 25% of positive women with the follicle.

 

Conclusion: The SEGOVA method in the future could solve many problems in human reproduction due to the large number of patients diagnosed with POF and the possibility of delaying menopause, thus improving the quality of life and general health.

 

source:  Influence of autologous in vitro activation of ovaries by stem cells and growth factors on the endocrine and reproductive function of patients with ovarian insufficiency