In Germany, researchers reported the first successful “rejuvenation” of human egg cells using the protein Shugoshin 1. The development by researchers from the Max Planck Institute and the startup Ovo Labs makes it possible to reduce the number of chromosomal errors, which is especially important for women over 40 undergoing IVF.
Shugoshin 1 is a protein that helps chromosomes divide correctly during egg-cell maturation. As levels of the protein decline with age, the risk of genetic errors increases. Introducing the protein into egg cells restored stability: in laboratory experiments, the number of errors dropped almost by half, from 53% to 29%.
The method has so far been applied only in the laboratory, but the study could become the basis for future clinical trials and, in the long term, change the standards of infertility treatment for older women. It does not extend fertility after menopause, but it offers a chance of a successful pregnancy on the first attempt, reducing the physical and emotional burden of IVF.
