̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - fertility

AI can be good for our health and wellbeing

cjb250 — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 08:00:08 +0000

Cambridge researchers are looking at ways that AI can transform everything from drug discovery to Alzheimer's diagnoses to GP consultations.

AI-deas: Using AI to tackle society's biggest challenges

lw355 — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Aspirations for the ability of AI to transform society couldn’t be higher. Realising this potential will require bridging the gap between AI development and public value. Cambridge's AI-deas initiative aims to do just that.

Mind Over Chatter: ̽��ֱ��future of reproduction

ns480 — Thu, 27 May 2021 12:41:58 +0000

Season 2, episode 6

Our reproductive capabilities are changing in exciting ways, altering our fundamental understanding of fertility, reproduction, and even parenthood.

In this episode of Mind Over Chatter, we ask our guests what the consequences of novel reproductive technologies are likely to be, and how they will impact the future of human reproduction.

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We cover topics ranging from egg-freezing, so-called ‘three-parent-babies, and the importance of studying the embryonic development of primates.

Historical demographer, Dr Alice Reid, who researches fertility, mortality and health in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, tells us how reproduction has changed over the last 200 years and how it has been influenced by improvements in gender equality, as well as discussing the likely demographic impact of assisted reproduction.

Dr Lucy Van de Wiel, whose research focuses on the social and cultural analysis of assisted reproductive technologies such as egg freezing, introduces the important ways in which reproductive technologies must be considered in the context of wide social and political issues.

Finally, Dr Thorsten Boroviak shares his cutting-edge research on developing new reproductive technologies – the ability to generate your own egg or sperm from any cell of your body – and the importance of studying the embryonic development of primates.

Key points:

[2:10]- change of human reproduction over the last 200 years

[5:45]- egg freezing and changing meaning of what it means to be ‘fertile’

[12:05]- higher levels of gender equity can produce higher levels of fertility

[23:19]- generating eggs and sperms from any human cell

[24:02]- can a man produce an egg?

[40:37]- when should one freeze their eggs?

[64:54]- reproductive justice and reproductive equity. Ensuring reproductive autonomy while ensuring non-exploitation

[65:59]- Final question: what is the most exciting thing that will happen to humankind in the future?

Mind Over Chatter: ̽��ֱ��Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Podcast

Medieval ‘birthing girdle’ parchment was worn during labour, study suggests

fpjl2 — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 11:59:56 +0000

Researchers have found direct evidence that a 500-year-old manuscript was worn during childbirth by using 'biomolecular analysis' to detect ancient proteins from cervico-vaginal fluid within the weave of the parchment.

̽��ֱ��medieval 'birthing girdle', now part of the Wellcome Collection, dates from around 1500, and is a rare example of the kind of talisman or relic that was offered to anxious pregnant women by the Pre-Reformation English Church.

Childbearing in medieval Europe was perilous, with risks ranging from uterine prolapse to postpartum infection. Complications during or resulting from labour caused a high death toll among women: neonatal mortality rates of the time for mother and child together are estimated to have been 30 to 60 percent.

Made from materials such as silk, paper and parchment, and inscribed with prayers and invocations for safe delivery, birthing girdles were one of the most common spiritual charms loaned out by monasteries to their parishioners.

Talismanic items such as girdles, designed to secure assistance from divine and supernatural forces, were targeted for destruction during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, which began in 1536 under King Henry VIII. The stained, three-metre-long sheepskin scroll now held by Wellcome (MS.632) is one of the few birthing girdles that survived.

Despite a ban on girdles by bishops in the wake of the Reformation, women were known to have used them surreptitiously up until the early 17th century, and this may have been one of the clandestine birthing girdles that remained in circulation.

A research team led by Dr Sarah Fiddyment of the McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge used erasers to delicately rub the fragile parchment and collect tiny crumbs of material without damaging the artefact. They then analysed and extracted proteins from these granules.

̽��ֱ��proteomic analysis used by Fiddyment and colleagues, a non-invasive sampling technique called eZooms, was originally developed to identify the animal species from which ancient parchments were made. Their findings have been published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Along with a large number of proteins matching cervico-vaginal fluid, indicating that the manuscript was indeed actively worn during labour, the researchers also found various non-human proteins: honey, milk, egg and plants such as broad beans – all of which have been documented in medieval texts as treatments relating to pregnancy and childbirth.

“Although these birth girdles are thought to have been used during pregnancy and childbirth, there has been no direct evidence that they were actually worn until now,” said Fiddyment, lead author of the new study.

“Many contain prayers for general protection of the individual, but this particular girdle also contains very specific prayers to protect women in childbirth and references various saints also related to women and childbirth.”

“This girdle is especially interesting as it has visual evidence of having been used and worn, as some of the images and writing have been worn away through use and it has many stains and blemishes,” Fiddyment said.

Alongside names of apostles and saints associated with childbirth, such as the Saints Julitta and Quiricus, mother and son martyrs, the manuscript also features the assurance that 'yf a woman travell wyth chylde gyrdes thys mesure abowte hyr wombe and she shall be delyvyrs wythowte parelle.' ('If a woman travailing with child girds this measure about her womb, she shall be delivered safely without peril.')

̽��ֱ��manuscript's 'severe abrasions' imply that it was often touched or kissed as well as worn, write the researchers. They say that the narrow width of the scroll and the traces of folds suggest it was wrapped around a woman’s body so that particular prayers were strategically placed against the womb.

“We do not know how the girdles were worn, but there are suggestions that due to the dimensions of the object – long and narrow – they were worn like a chastity belt, to help support the pregnant women both physically and spiritually,” said Fiddyment.

̽��ֱ��study’s senior author, Professor Matthew Collins, also of the McDonald Institute, said the research highlights the role of proteomics within a new field called 'biocodicology': the study of the biological information stored in ancient manuscripts.

Scientists have used emerging proteomic techniques to find traces of ancient vaginal fluid, honey and milk on a rare manuscript from the late 15th century.

There are suggestions that due to the dimensions of the object – long and narrow – they were worn like a chastity belt

Sarah Fiddyment

Image courtesy of Wellcome Collection

Medieval English Birth Scroll. MS.632 (c. 1500), Wellcome Collection

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Tales from the edge of modern fertilities

fpjl2 — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 14:21:15 +0000

A major research project sees sociologists situated at emerging hot spots of reproductive change, investigating the new ‘haves and have-nots’ in our fertility futures.

"Reproduction matters to us all": latest issue of Horizons magazine

lw355 — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:26:45 +0000

Professor Kathy Niakan talks about why it’s vital to take a multidisciplined approach to understanding the urgent challenges posed by reproduction today – and introduces our Spotlight on some of this work, highlighted in the latest issue of Cambridge's Horizons magazine.

Researchers obtain first ever underwater ultrasound scans of wild reef manta rays

cjb250 — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 07:51:51 +0000

̽��ֱ��research project is taking place in the Republic of Maldives, in south Asia, which has the largest population of reef manta rays in the world. ̽��ֱ��team hope that their work will help establish the factors responsible for annual fluctuations in breeding and discover why animals breed in certain areas but not others.

Manta rays are close relatives of sharks and rays. ̽��ֱ��largest individuals can reach as many as seven metres in width and weigh up to two tonnes. However, despite their size, and compared to some of their close relatives, mantas are gentle creatures.

Mantas are found throughout the tropical and sub-tropical oceans of the world. ̽��ֱ��animals never stop moving, as they must keep water flowing over their gills to respire. Their daily and seasonal movements are tuned to the ebb and flow of the ocean currents that carry the planktonic food upon which they depend.

“Manta rays are one of the most beautiful and iconic creatures that swim in our oceans,” says Dr Gareth Pearce from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. “Unfortunately, like many animals, their future is threatened. They are increasingly fished, both deliberately and through bycatch and their populations are now at risk.”

In recent years, manta ray populations have become threatened through bycatch in fisheries targeting other species, such as tuna and swordfish, but also because their gill plates have recently become sought after for use in Asian medicine.

Working with the Manta Trust, Dr Pearce and PhD student Niv Froman use the new ‘Duo-Scan:Go Oceanic’ ultrasound scanner, developed by IMV-imaging, to study the reproductive ecology of manta rays. To scan the manta rays, researchers dive down to a ‘cleaning station’ where smaller fish remove parasites from the mantas’ skin. These stations are typically 20-30 metres down, often with poor visibility and potentially strong ocean currents.

̽��ֱ��diver then approaches a manta from above to avoid disturbing the animal. He positions the scanner 4-5cm above the surface of the manta, targeting the left side of the dorsal fin, which is where the reproductive structures such as the ovaries and the uterus are visible.

“It’s important not to cause the manta ray any stress,” explains Froman. “Using these portable scanners, we’re able to obtain ultrasound images of their internal structures, particularly their reproductive tracts, without disturbing the animal. This is the first time that this has been possible in free-swimming mantas.”

̽��ֱ��scanner enabled the team to obtain the first ever scans of wild reef manta rays, including pregnant and non-pregnant females, as well as mature males.

“Using the scans, we’re able to determine the stages of maturity and when animals are becoming reproductively active,” adds Dr Pearce. “We can observe the stages of pregnancy, the development of the foetus and importantly, whether an animal maintains that pregnancy and gives birth to a live animal.”

Sightings of the animals in the Maldives are reliable and consistent, allowing the researchers to take images of the same animal multiple times throughout its gestational period, which lasts just over a year.

“Ultimately, our work aims to inform the conservation of manta rays both in the Maldives and other areas of the world, enabling the populations to survive and hopefully flourish,” says Dr Pearce. “Our hope is that this research project will contribute to conserving the species for future generations.”

“When the project began, none of the team knew whether scanning wild reef manta rays would even be possible. What has been achieved is beyond what we could have hoped for,” says Dr Guy Stevens, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the Manta Trust. “Manta rays are threatened worldwide and we still know so little about their reproductive strategies. ̽��ֱ��ability to scan pregnant individuals will be invaluable in our quest to protect them.”

According to IMV-imaging, the ‘Duo-Scan:Go Oceanic’ represents significant improvements on previous technologies. It can be taken to depths of up to 30 metres and —with the assistance of Wi-Fi and a smartphone as a viewing screen—it is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

Chief Executive of IMV imaging, Alan Picken, says: “What we are really excited about is the contactless nature of this technology. There are significant benefits for animal welfare, but you also open up a whole range of possible applications if you can scan animals that ordinarily wouldn’t let you get close enough to touch them."

̽��ֱ��Cambridge researchers, in collaboration with a team from the Manta Trust, verified that the contactless technology works in field tests carried out in collaboration with the Vetsonic (UK) Ltd and Six Senses Laamu, a five-star resort in the Maldives with a nearby resident reef manta ray population.

A team of researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and the Manta Trust has successfully scanned a pregnant wild reef manta ray underwater to obtain clear ultrasound images of her foetus, using the world’s first contactless underwater ultrasound scanner.

Ultimately, our work aims to inform the conservation of manta rays both in the Maldives and other areas of the world, enabling the populations to survive and hopefully flourish

Gareth Pearce

Manta Ecology film Final YT

Andy Ball (Manta Trust)

Scanning a manta ray

Yes

Licence type:

Attribution

‘Mini-placentas’ could provide a model for early pregnancy

cjb250 — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 18:00:49 +0000

Many pregnancies fail because the embryo does not implant correctly into the lining of the womb (uterus) and fails to form a placental attachment to the mother. Yet, because of the complexities of studying this early period of our development, very little is understood about what is happening normally and what can go wrong. Animals are too dissimilar to humans to provide a good model of placental development and implantation.

“ ̽��ֱ��placenta is absolutely essential for supporting the baby as it grows inside the mother,” says Dr Margherita Turco, the study’s first author, from the Departments of Pathology and Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. “When it doesn’t function properly, it can result in serious problems, from pre-eclampsia to miscarriage, with immediate and lifelong consequences for both mother and child. But our knowledge of this important organ is very limited because of a lack of good experimental models.”

Efforts to grow human placental cells started over 30 years ago in the Pathology department where Professors Ashley Moffett and Charlie Loke were studying cellular events in the first few weeks of pregnancy. With their chief technician, Lucy Gardner, they found ways to isolate and characterise placental trophoblast cells. These techniques, combined with the organoid culture system, enabled the generation of miniature functional models of the early placenta – or ‘mini-placentas’.

In the past few years, a new field of research has blossomed that uses these organoids – often referred to as ‘mini-organs’ – enabling insights into human biology and disease. At the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, one of the world leaders in organoid research, scientists are using organoid cultures to grow everything from ‘mini-brains’ to ‘mini-livers’ to ‘mini-lungs’.

In a study funded by Wellcome and the Centre for Trophoblast Research, the Cambridge team was able to grow organoids using cells from villi – tiny frond-like structures – taken from placental tissue. These trophoblast organoids are able to survive long-term, are genetically stable and organise into villous-like structures that secrete essential proteins and hormones that would affect the mother’s metabolism during the pregnancy. Further analysis showed that the organoids closely resemble normal first-trimester placentas. In fact, the organoids so closely model the early placenta that they are able to record a positive response on an over-the-counter pregnancy test.

Professor Graham Burton, a co-author and Director of the Centre for Trophoblast Research, which last year celebrated its tenth anniversary, says: “These ‘mini-placentas’ build on decades of research and we believe they will transform work in this field. They will play an important role in helping us investigate events that happen during the earliest stages of pregnancy and yet have profound consequences for the life-long health of the mother and her offspring. ̽��ֱ��placenta supplies all the oxygen and nutrients essential for growth of the fetus, and if it fails to develop properly the pregnancy can sadly end with a low birthweight baby or even a stillbirth.”

In addition, the organoids may shed light on other mysteries surrounding the relationships between the placenta, the uterus and the fetus: why, for example, is the placenta able to prevent some infections passing from the mother’s blood to the fetus while others, such as Zika virus, are able to pass through this barrier? ̽��ֱ��organoids may also be used for screening the safety of drugs to be used in early pregnancy, to understand how chromosomal abnormalities may perturb normal development, and possibly even provide stem cell therapies for failing pregnancies.

Last year, the same team supported by Cambridge’s Centre for Trophoblast Research reported growing miniature functional models of the uterine lining.

“Now that we’ve developed organoid models of both sides of the interface – maternal tissue and placental tissue – we can start to look at how these two sides talk to each other,” adds Professor Ashley Moffett.

Professor Moffett also co-directed a recent study published in Nature that used genomics and bioinformatics approaches to map over 70,000 single cells at the junction of the uterus and placenta. This study revealed how the cells talk to each other to modify the immune response and enable the pregnancy, presenting new and unexpected cell states in the uterus and placenta, and showing which genes are switched on in each cell.

References

Turco, MY et al. Trophoblast organoids as a model for maternal-fetal interactions during human placentation. Nature; 28 Nov 2018; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0753-3

Vento-Tormo, R, et al. Single-cell reconstruction of the early maternal–fetal interface in humans. Nature; 14 Nov 2018; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0698-6

Researchers say that new ‘mini-placentas’ – a cellular model of the early stages of the placenta – could provide a window into early pregnancy and help transform our understanding of reproductive disorders. Details of this new research are published today in the journal Nature.

̽��ֱ��placenta is absolutely essential for supporting the baby as it grows inside the mother. When it doesn’t function properly, it can result in serious problems

Margherita Turco

Title: Image reproduced with the permission of SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH (SPD)

Researcher profile: Dr Margherita Turco

Dr Margherita Turco began her career studying the development of embryos in domestic animals during her studies for Veterinary Biotechnology at the ̽��ֱ�� of Bologna, in Italy. During her PhD in Molecular Medicine at the European Institute of Oncology in Milano, she became interested in how early cell lineage decisions are made and began using various stem cells models to address this question.

This led Margherita to come to Cambridge in 2012 to carry out her postdoctoral work on human trophoblast stem cells at Cambridge’s Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR), during which time she was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship. She now has a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship that has enabled her to build up her own research group.

Margherita’s goal is to understand how the human placenta grows and develops during pregnancy.

“ ̽��ֱ��placenta is a remarkable organ that is formed early in pregnancy. It plays the crucial role of nourishing and protecting the baby throughout its development before birth,” she says.

There is a lot that can go wrong during this period, however.

“Complications occurring during pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, miscarriage and premature birth, are principally due to defective placental function. These conditions, which collectively affect around one in five pregnancies, can pose a risk to both the baby and mother’s health. Understanding early placental development is the key to understanding successful pregnancy.”

Human placental development has been a ‘black box’ for ethical and practical reasons. “ ̽��ֱ��lack of reliable experimental models that accurately mimic how placental cells behave has hindered our ability to ask even quite basic questions,” she says.

To address this issue, Margherita was funded by the CTR to develop models of the human placenta.. Her mentors have included Professors Ashley Moffett and Graham Burton from the Centre, and Dr Myriam Hemberger from the Babraham Institute, bringing together different a wide range of expertise to this challenging project.

Margherita uses a type of model known as an ‘organoid’ and has now managed to generate organoid models from both the mother’s uterus and the placenta, the two sides of the maternal-fetal interface.

“As their name suggests, organoids are essentially mini-organs grown in the laboratory that preserve the normal cellular architecture and function,” she says. “They have proved to be powerful tools in investigating development and biological functions in many other organ systems – the heart, gut, liver, kidney and brain. They can also be used for screening drugs and studying how pathogens affect tissues. I believe they will be equally transformative for the investigation of early pregnancy and the origin of later complications.”

Cambridge has been the ideal place for Margherita to carry out her research because of the unique concentration of placental and stem cell biologists within the CTR.

“There is no other place in the world with such a combination of skills, knowledge and resources,” she says.

“I hope to be able to uncover the mysterious events that occur early in human pregnancy that previously were not possible to study. In the longer term, I hope this will alleviate the suffering experienced by couples affected by infertility or complications of pregnancy.”

Yes