Below are some of the newest fertility advancements:

Cell Free DNA Testing

Scientists have developed a new technique to analyze fetal DNA without having to extract cells. Certain at-risk women, such as women age 35 years or older and women with a history of certain chromosome disorders, can now be tested as early as the first trimester of their pregnancy. The new technique, known as cffDNA (cell-free fetal DNA) works by gathering and analyzing material directly from the mother’s blood, looking for DNA released by the placenta.

Uterine Transplants

In June 2015, a young woman who had her ovaries removed as a teenager was able to successfully carry a pregnant to term after having her womb re-attached. This is an extremely important breakthrough because it provides a method for women to have their uterus removed prior to undergoing chemotherapy and other therapies and then have the uterus re-attached in the future when conditions for being pregnant are more favorable.

The first woman to bring a baby to term after undergoing uterus transplantation suffered from an acute form of the blood disorder sickle-cell anemia, which required a treatment that significantly damaged her uterus.

Ovarian Transplants

Along with new breakthroughs in uterine transplants, scientists have made much more progress in the preservation and transplantation of ovarian tissue in order to boost fertility rates for women with cancer. A recent study in Denmark froze ovarian tissue for 32 women who were suffering from cancer. After the cancer therapy had been completed, the women had their frozen ovarian tissue transplanted back into their bodies, and 10 out of the 32 women successfully brought a pregnancy to term.

Starting at puberty, women will be able to have their ovaries frozen for later use. Women facing medical treatments that could potentially lower their fertility will be able to freeze their frozen ovaries transplanted when conditions for pregnancy are more favorable. Cryogenically preserving eggs is already an established procedure and currently available to the general public.

Babies with Three Parents

In 2015, Britain changed its law to permit mitochrondrial donation for pregnancies involving women who suffer from mitochrondrial diseases. The change in the law now permits women who suffer from mitochrondrial disease to be eligible for IVF (in-vitro fertilization) treatments, using a third “parent” to donate healthy mitochrondria so that the resulting pregnancy will not inherit the mother’s mitochrondrial disease.

Although technically DNA from three individuals is used to create a pregnancy using this technique, mitochrondria is not responsible for individual traits, so there is no effective change in parentage for the resulting pregnancy.

Gene Editing

Scientists have developed a new tool called CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly-interspaced palindromic repeats – associated protein 9) to directly edit DNA. While the CRISPR technology has existed for a few years, the new Cas9 version allows scientists to cut and replace specific DNA sequences.

Although this technology is still being developed, it is expected that gene editing will be able to strip out certain mutant genes responsible for a variety of inherited diseases and replace them with healthy versions. If this technology can be perfected, babies will no longer be at risk for a wide range of congenital diseases, including cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, Huntington’s disease, and Marfan syndrome.

Treatments for PCOS

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) can affect a woman’s fertility, including her hormone levels, ovulation, and menstrual cycle. It is estimated that approximately 10% of women in the United States are affected by PCOS. In 2015, scientists reported success using a new drug called letrozole (Femara) in treating PCOS in mice. This drug has not been evaluated by the FDA for general use in treating PCOS but a number of individual practitioners have used it with their clients and there is anecdotal evidence that Letrozole has achieved some success. Letrozole is currently approved only as a treatment for breast cancer.

Should future drug trials ultimately result in Letrozole becoming approved for human use, women affected by PCOS will be able to improve their fertility success rates, and have a greater chance of successfully ovulating and bringing a pregnancy to term. Currently, women with PCOS are advised to maintain a healthy weight, refrain from smoking, and closely monitor their ovulation to improve their fertility. Research is currently being conducted for other non-medication treatments in order to boost fertility rates for women with PCOS.

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Many diet labs are now offering a new test that examines your DNA in order to discover the best diet for your unique needs. According to the claims by a number of diet lab companies, they will analyze your DNA and then give you a full report telling you what supplements you need, and exactly what diet best works for your genetic markers to help you lose weight and stay healthy

For decades, diet labs have analyzed blood and urine samples in order to reveal nutritional deficiencies and markers that can indicate the onset of common dietary-related diseases like high cholesterol, blood glucose levels, and thyroid gland activity. Now, many diet labs are claiming that they can analyze a simple Q-tip swab of the DNA cells in your cheek to craft the perfect diet.

This Emerging Field is Called Nutrigenomics.

While early results look promising, it is still too soon for experts to conclude whether or not it is possible to design a better diet simply by analyzing a person’s DNA. Some doctors support nutrigenomics because it is already established that genes control enzyme levels, metabolism, and hormone production. It is a reasonable assumption that understanding how an individual uniquely metabolizes and processes foods can help determine how many calories they need and any deficiencies in nutrition that can be addressed with the use of supplements. Furthermore, many common conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and certain forms of coronary disease are already known to be heavily influenced by inherited genetic factors

Using a DNA Test to Create a Customized Diet. 

Supporters of nutrigenomics say that an analysis of an individual’s DNA can be used to successfully design a diet to help keep them healthy and at a good weight. For example, conventional wisdom recommends that people eat a low fat diet if they have a history of heart disease in their family and/or have high levels of the so-called “bad” LDL cholesterol. Likewise, a low-carbohydrate diet may be recommended for individuals whose DNA reveals that they have high blood pressure or abnormal levels of triglycerides.

DNA tests can also reveal the presence of, or lack thereof, of certain enzymes. Some people may be unaware that they are lactose or gluten intolerant, so a DNA test can reveal important clues about how to eat a balanced diet. DNA tests can also reveal the presence of certain markers that will put some people at a higher risk of developing inflammatory diseases or diabetes, giving them advanced warning to make changes in their diet in order to stay healthy.

Is DNA Diet Testing Worth It? 

One advantage that DNA testing at a diet lab has over more traditional analyses from blood and urine samples is that you do not need to be present at the lab to give a sample. Most diet labs offer a simple mail-in kit where you take two cotton swabs (Q-tips) and send your sample off to the laboratory to be analyzed. While some diet labs charge a steep premium for their services, the price can often be far lower than traditional blood and urine analysis.

The verdict is still out on whether DNA testing to create a perfect diet is effective, however, many people believe that the low cost and simple process of mailing a cheek swab sample is worth a try. Certain DNA markers can reveal deficiencies in enzyme or hormone production, giving people valuable information about which types of foods or supplements are best for their unique needs. Other experts downplay the value of DNA diet testing, believing that eating a healthy, balanced diet outweighs the benefits of any special insights revealed by analyzing a person’s genes.

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