In Vitro Fertility Goddess

Infertile Women Can Regain Their Fertility

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Tuesday 17 March, 2009

Source: Society for Endocrinology BES

A recently discovered hormone could help infertile women regain their fertility.

It's called kisspeptin and British scientists believe that this protein can stimulate the release of reproductive hormones which control the menstrual cycle.

Kisspeptin and the gene that serves as its blueprint, KISS-1, is produced during adolescence and triggers the release of the hormones that bring on puberty. In animals, kisspeptin has been shown to play a role in reproduction too where lower production levels of kisspeptin triggers the loss of reproductive urges. Animals and humans lacking kisspeptin do not go through puberty and remain sexually immature.

Lead researcher Dr Waljit Dhillo from Imperial College London studied 10 women who were not menstruating and were infertile. The women were then injected with either kisspeptin or a placebo.

Blood samples were taken to measure levels of the luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone, both of which are crucial for ovulation and fertility.

Kisspeptin led to a 48-fold increase of luteinising hormone and a 16-fold increase in follicle stimulating hormone compared with the inactive salt solution.

The study is the first to show that kisspeptin can stimulate sex hormones in women suffering from infertility and confirms earlier research that the treatment leads to the production of sex hormones in fertile women.

Sarah Williams