Child born after transplanted ovarian tissue

Child born in clinic by transplanted ovarian tissue

14/09/2012

As announced on Thursday, researchers from Erlangen can rejoice for the second time on the birth of a child after a successful retransplantation of frozen ovarian tissue. Four years ago, 32-year-old Nuremberger Sandra G. fell ill with breast cancer and became infertile due to chemotherapy. Thanks to the retransplantation, a few days ago she gave birth to a healthy daughter by natural means.

First successful transplantation of ovarian tissue in breast cancer patient
As the University Hospital reported on Friday, little Isabel was born on Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 14:21 clock in the gynecological clinic. The healthy girl weighed 3,070 grams with a size of 50 centimeters. Sandra G is the first breast cancer patient in Germany where this procedure was successful and was completely performed in one place, the University of Erlangen.

After suffering from breast cancer in 2008, the young woman decided to remove ovarian tissue, which was then frozen. Due to the later retransplantation of the tissue Sandra G. hoped to be able to fulfill her wish to have a child, despite the infertility caused by the chemotherapy. „Before the first chemotherapy, my doctor told me that there was an experimental procedure that would give me the chance to have my own children“, reports the young woman „This option was a straw for me during this difficult time, and I was able to capture it with a view to the future.“

Two years after the Nuremberg's successful cancer treatment, the frozen tissue was thawed and returned to full functionality in August 2011. „The tissue was again hormonally active and it could be a normal follicle growth detected by ultrasound“, reports the biologist Professor Ralf Dittrich, scientific director of reproductive medicine at the University Hospital Erlangen. „So far 13 times worldwide it has been possible for a woman who has been infertile to give birth to a child by natural means following the retransplantation of her cryopreserved ovarian tissue“, informs the hospital in a press release.

Hope for cancer patients by transplantation of frozen ovarian tissue
About 17,000 women between the ages of 15 and 45 fall ill with cancer every year in Germany. Although modern, improved treatment methods have significantly increased the survival rate of the patients, it has often led to infertility, reports the hospital. Especially for young women who still have family planning in mind, this consequence is dramatic. The Erlangen researchers regard the so-called cryopreservation of ovarian tissue as a promising option for affected women to fulfill their desire to have children at a later date.

„The chances of our patients getting pregnant after a successful retransplantation of ovarian tissue are as good or as bad as with any healthy woman“, explains Professor Matthias W. Beckmann, Director of the Department of Gynecology of the University Hospital Erlangen. „Our research results clearly show that it is possible to restore the ovarian function of cancer patients. This is a sign of hope for many women: they can be given the opportunity of hormone production and childbirth.“ That is why Beckmann emphasizes: „Women of childbearing potential who are of childbearing potential must be told about the new possibility of maintaining their fertility before the start of therapy.“

Like Klaus Diedrich, former director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University Hospital in Lübeck, opposite the news agency „dpa“ reported, the ovarian tissue may also recover naturally after cancer therapy. He judged the success of the Erlangen researchers with a „50 to 50“ Chance that this was due to tissue that has recovered after chemotherapy.

Since 2007, the ovarian tissue retransplantation in Erlangen was performed in eleven women. Although the procedure failed in any case, only two of the patients gave birth to children. Overall, this was only possible 13 times worldwide, as the Erlanger Klinikum announced. (Ag)

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Picture credits: Petra Dietz