Safety and efficacy of first-in-man intrathecal injection of human astrocytes (AstroRx®) in ALS patients: phase I/IIa clinical trial results.

Background: Malfunction of astrocytes is implicated as one of the pathological factors of ALS. Thus, intrathecal injection of healthy astrocytes in ALS can potentially compensate for the diseased astrocytes. AstroRx® is an allogeneic cell-based product, composed of healthy and functional human astrocytes derived from embryonic stem cells.

Long-term pituitary down-regulation pretreatment for endometriosis - chronicles of guidelines and recommendations.

It was suggested in the 1980s that long-term pituitary down-regulation by a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist, termed the ultra-long protocol, inducing a hypo-oestrogenic state, might improve reproductive outcomes in women with endometriosis. Subsequently, international guidelines strongly supported the long-term pituitary down-regulation protocol in women with endometriosis based on a Cochrane review from 2006. The recently published European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology guideline, based on the updated Cochrane review from 2019 and newer evidence, has reversed this recommendation.

Endometrial compaction is associated with increased clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates in unstimulated natural cycle frozen embryo transfers: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: To investigate the association between endometrial compaction and pregnancy rates in unstimulated natural cycle frozen embryo transfers.

Design: A single-center prospective cohort study. Endometrial thickness by transvaginal ultrasound and blood progesterone levels on the day of ovulation and the day of embryo transfer were evaluated in patients undergoing natural cycle frozen embryo transfer.

Establishment of a controlled slow freezing-based approach for experimental clinical cryopreservation of human prepubertal testicular tissues.

Objective: To develop an efficient, clinical-grade, freezing protocol toward experimental clinical cryopreservation of testicular tissues in prepubertal boys suffering from cancer.

Design: Experimental cryopreservation of testicular tissue.

Setting: University Medical Center.

Astrocytes Downregulate Inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Applicability to COVID-19.

An acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is caused by the increased amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines and neutrophil-mediated tissue injury. To date, there is no effective treatment for the ARDS available, while the need for one is growing due to the most severe complications of the current coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The human astrocytes (AstroRx) have shown immunomodulatory properties in the central nervous system (CNS).

Chemotherapy-based gonadotoxicity risk evaluation as a predictor of reproductive outcomes in post-pubertal patients following ovarian tissue cryopreservation.

Background: The sterilizing effect of cancer treatment depends mostly on the chemotherapy regimen and extent of radiotherapy. Prediction of long-term reproductive outcomes among cancer survivors according to chemo-radiotherapy regimen may improve pre-treatment fertility preservation counseling and future reproductive outcomes.

Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate long term reproductive outcomes in cancer survivors according to gonadotoxicity risk estimation of the chemo-radiotherapy regimens utilized.

'Luckily, I don't believe in statistics': survey of women's understanding of chance of success with futile fertility treatments.

Research Question: Why are women who face poor prognoses for success in assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment choosing to pursue procedures using their own eggs, despite receiving information that their chances of success are very low.

Design: Cross-sectional study based on an anonymous questionnaire distributed to women aged between 43 and 45 years, undergoing ART using their own oocytes, at six public outpatient fertility clinics and three public in-hospital IVF units in Israel between 2015 and 2016. The main outcome measure was personal estimation of chance to achieve a live birth after the current ART treatment cycle and the cumulative estimated rate after all the treatment cycles the patient intended to undergo.

In vitro maturation rates in young premenarche patients.

Objective: To evaluate in vitro maturation (IVM) efficacy and oocyte retrieval rates after ovarian tissue cryopreservation in young premenarche girls facing chemo- and radiotherapy.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: University-affiliated tertiary medical center.

Single-Incision Laparoscopic Surgery for Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation.

Study Objective: To present single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) as an alternative to standard multiport laparoscopic surgery (MPLS) for ovarian tissue cryopreservation.

Design: Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

Setting: Tertiary medical center.

Transvaginal ultrasound to guide embryo transfer: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare sonographic visualization and patient pain in conventional transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) with transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) sonographic-guided embryo transfer (ET).

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Setting: Tertiary medical center, in vitro fertilization (IVF) unit.

In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes After Placement of Essure Microinserts in Patients With Hydrosalpinges Who Previously Failed In Vitro Fertilization Treatment: A Multicenter Study.

Study Objective: To investigate whether hysteroscopic proximal tubal occlusion with Essure microinserts (Conceptus Inc.; Bayer, AG, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) can improve pregnancy rates in patients with hydrosalpinges who had failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Operative hysteroscopy for treatment of intrauterine pathologies does not interfere with later endometrial development in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Purpose: Operative hysteroscopy procedure is extensively used for the treatment of intrauterine abnormalities that can potentially cause infertility. To date, there are little data addressing the effect of operative hysteroscopy that applies electrical current for excision and its subsequent effect on endometrial thickness. This study was aimed to assess the effect of thermal resection used in operative hysteroscopy on endometrial thickness and on fertility outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

microRNAs and Endometrial Pathophysiology.

Embryo implantation requires a reciprocal interaction between the blastocyst and endometrium and is associated with complex regulatory mechanisms. Since their discovery, microRNAs became prominent candidates providing missing links for many biological pathways. In recent years, microRNAs were implicated as one of the important players in regulation of various biological and physiological endometrial related processes.

Assisted reproduction policies in Israel: a retrospective analysis of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Objective: To analyze whether the results and effectiveness of the open-ended treatment with IVF in Israel justifies the policy of limitless nondonor IVF rounds.

Design: The research sample included 535 patients. The files of these patients were reviewed; data were extracted into a questionnaire, transferred into digital files, and analyzed with SPSS.

Emerging roles of microRNA in the embryo-endometrium cross talk.

Embryo implantation requires a reciprocal interaction between the blastocyst and endometrium and is associated with complex regulatory mechanisms. Since their discovery, microRNAs have become prominent regulatory candidates, providing missing links for many biological pathways. In recent years, microRNAs have been implicated as one of the important players in the regulation of multiple physiological functions of the endometrium.

[Single incision laparoscopic combined cholecystectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and omentectomy].

Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) is gaining popularity as a modality in surgery which reduces the number and size of skin incisions. General surgeons and urologists were the first to implement this technique, however, recently gynecologists have also started performing SILS procedures. We present the case of a 70 year old female who underwent a combined SILS procedure which included cholecystectomy, bilateral oophorectomy and omentectomy.

Women's post-chemotherapy parity is affected by offspring number and marital status.

Childbearing rates post-chemotherapy for breast cancer (BC) are affected by age and chemotherapy-type but may also depend on personal characteristics. In this single institution retrospective study we evaluated post-chemotherapy fertility and its association with offspring number and marital-status at the time of BC diagnosis. We identified 65 fertile BC patients under 38y, who received adjuvant-chemotherapy.

Defective endometrial receptivity.

The endometrium is one of the most fascinating tissues in the human body. Its sole purpose is to enable implantation of an embryo during a relatively short window of opportunity in the menstrual cycle. It is becoming clear that overcoming the current bottleneck in improvements to assisted reproductive techniques will require a closer look at the interface between uterus and embryo.

Fertility preservation in girls.

Children that undergo treatment for cancer are at risk of suffering from subfertility or hormonal dysfunction due to the detrimental effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapeutic agents on the gonads. Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue prior to treatment offers the possibility of restoring gonadal function after resumption of therapy. Effective counseling and management of pediatric patients is crucial for preserving their future reproductive potential.

Underdiagnosed menorrhagia in adolescents is associated with underdiagnosed anemia.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that adolescent girls with menorrhagia rarely seek medical attention.

Study Design: A total of 705 adolescent girls attended a lecture on menorrhagia, completed an initial anonymous questionnaire, and were asked to participate in a more comprehensive study comprising a detailed bleeding questionnaire, a pictorial blood loss assessment chart, and blood tests.

Results: A total of 105 adolescents (15%) reported they had heavy periods on the initial questionnaire.

MicroRNAs are associated with human embryo implantation defects.

Background: Repeated implantation failure (RIF) is a major problem encountered in IVF. We have previously reported that RIF-IVF patients have a different endometrial gene expression profile during the window of implantation. Considering microRNA (miRNA) function in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, the aim of the study was to evaluate the involvement of miRNA in defects of endometrial receptivity.

[New possibilities resulting from oocyte banking].

Oocyte cryopreservation solves the legal and ethical problems associated with the cryopreservation of embryos in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization procedures. Furthermore, it may also offer the possibility of extending the reproductive capability of young women with malignant diseases in cases where the treatment may compromise the ovarian reserve. Moreover, it may also offer alternatives for infertile patients who are subject to ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome or premature ovarian faiLure or who require oocyte donation.

The value of human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation test in predicting ovarian response during in-vitro fertilization.

Purpose: To assess the predictive value of human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) theca-stimulation test for ovarian reserve in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.

Methods: 39 women were included in the study. All participants received a single hCG 10000 IU injection on cycle day 2-3.

Micro-organ ovarian transplantation enables pregnancy: a case report.

A 19-year-old thalassemic woman had tissue from one of her ovaries cryopreserved prior to bone marrow transplantation, total body irradiation and sterilizing chemotherapy. As expected, premature ovarian failure resulted from this treatment. Transplantation of her thawed ovarian tissue resulted in return of menstrual cycling and the patient then underwent several IVF cycles.

Fertility considerations and preservation in haemato-oncology patients undergoing treatment.

The improved survival rates among patients with haematological malignancies, such as lymphoma and leukaemia, are shifting areas of focus towards understanding and preventing treatment-induced sequelae. Of these, infertility is one of the most devastating consequences for patients with reproductive potential. The degree of treatment-induced gonadal dysfunction depends on age and gender-related differences, the type and dosage of chemotherapy used and the field and cumulative dose of abdomino-pelvic irradiation.