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Two women in Japan became pregnant after receiving fertility treatment in which mitochondria collected from their ovaries were injected into their ova, a medical facility here announced on Aug. 29.
The cases mark the first time for this fertility treatment to be conducted in Japan. The method was developed mainly by a U.S. firm and has garnered attention for its so-called "egg rejuvenation" effect. The treatment is aimed at raising pregnancy rates, including among women who are trying to have children later in life.
Some experts, however, have called for a careful response to the new therapy, as its safety and effects have not yet been scientifically verified.
According to IVF Japan, which announced the cases in Osaka, mitochondria were extracted from egg precursor cells in the patients' ovaries by way of laparoscopic surgery and other means, and were injected into the women's eggs alongside sperm at the time of in-vitro fertilization. Mitochondria are organelles that generate energy inside cells. "By injecting good-quality mitochondria, the egg's quality is improved, raising the chance of success in in-vitro fertilization," the organization said...