Treatment of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility) with Stem Cells
The diminished ovarian reserve (infertility) problem can be treated with stem cell therapy using the patient's own stem cells without any risks and side effects.
- In case of diminished ovarian reserve, one's own stem cells replenish the ovarian reserve by replicating healthy ovarian cells.
- It can be applied to all women suffering from diminished ovarian reserve.
- The stem cells obtained from the patient are multiplied in the laboratory and administered to the patient via the vascular access, and the cells replicate the healthy ovarian cells they touch.
- The success rate of stem cell therapy of diminished ovarian reserve is 67% and above.
What is Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility)?
Ovarian reserve refers to the number of eggs in the ovaries of a woman. A woman with a high ovarian reserve has a high number of eggs (follicles) in her ovaries.
However, with advancing age, especially after the age of 35, the ovarian reserve of a woman, meaning the follicles (eggs) that provide the fertility, begins to decrease. The fact that the number of eggs is more or less does not indicate whether the woman's eggs are of sufficient quality to give birth to a healthy baby.
If a woman's ovarian reserve is low, but her egg quality is high, her chances of getting pregnant are high. Likewise, a woman's ovarian reserve does not determine the quality of the egg. As a result, the decrease in ovarian reserve is not related to egg quality.
What are the Symptoms of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility)?
Not being able to get pregnant even though it is desired, pregnancies resulting in miscarriage and also early menopause are among the symptoms of diminished ovarian reserve.
Causes of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility)
- A surgical treatment of ovarian tissue
- Removal of cyst
- Any surgery
- Abscess
- Infection
- Chemotherapy for any type cancer
- Intensive smoking
- Taking caffeine
are among important factors that reduce ovarian reserve.
Diminished ovarian reserve decreases the conception rate, makes it difficult to get pregnant and causes a decrease in egg quality.
Treatment of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility)
There is no known treatment for increasing the ovarian reserve. In general, the treatment applied to women with diminished ovarian reserves is in vitro fertilization.
If the woman is very young or not married, the collected eggs are frozen and stored for later use. In this way, even if the person enters menopause, she can receive IVF treatment in the future at any time. If the aim is to delay menopause, taking drugs are the way to do it.
When the egg cell grows in the female ovary, it produces estrogen and progesterone, estrogen and progesterone drugs are administered to the woman upon the depletion of the cells that allows the woman to get pregnant when the ovarian cells are diminished, and the woman starts to have regular menstruation as if she were not in menopause, but she cannot have a baby.
Since there is no common treatment method, supportive drug therapies and occasional intensive care treatments are being applied. Another factor is healthy and balanced nutrition, consuming liquids, and maintaining ideal weight.
Treatment of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility) with Stem Cells
Stem cells are natural healers that make up all tissues and organs in our body, have the ability to turn into cells they touch and have the ability to divide without any limit, and regenerate and treat our entire body. Therefore, it can be used in the treatment of infertility in women.
The success rate of the treatment is proportional to the patient's age, the duration of the disease and the patient's condition. As the disease may originate due to a problem in the endocrine system, all endocrinological examinations and tests shall be performed.
Endometriosis, structural defects about tubes or uterus, adhesions, obstructions require gynecological diagnosis and intervention. However, it is possible to treat other diseases that cause infertility such as menstruation and ovulation disorders and polycystic ovarian syndrome or menopause with stem cells. If all endocrinological treatments have been completed, the success rate in increasing the quality and/or number of eggs in the ovary is 67% and above depending on the person's condition.
Method of Administration:
The number of cells to be administered is determined according to the age and weight of the patient. Treatment is carried out using mesenchymal stem cells (derived from the patient's own adipose tissue) or fetal stem cells. The treatment of the patient is decided according to the condition of the patient. It can be performed in 3 sessions 45 days apart or in 2 consecutive days. While intravenous (through vascular access) administration is performed, an injection is directly made to ovary region.
The treatment protocol is precisely adjusted according to the patient's condition and a different protocol may be applied for each patient.
Success Rates in Treatment
If all endocrinological treatments have been completed, the success rate in increasing the quality and/or number of eggs in the ovary is 67% and above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Treatment of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility) with Stem Cells a painful treatment?
Treatment is completely painless. Stem cells are removed in hospital environment and after adequate reproduction, while intravenous (through vascular access) administration is performed on the patient, an injection is directly made to ovary region.
Can the Treatment of Diminished Ovarian Reserve (Infertility) with Stem Cells be applied to every woman?
It can be applied to women of any age if there is no endocrinological condition and/or if the treatment is completed and the patient is not still receiving any cell killer or radiotherapy treatment.
When should couples who can not have children despite regular intercourse seek treatment?
If the female's age is less than 35 and there is no problem that may affect pregnancy, examination and treatment should be started after 1 year, and if there is a problem that may affect pregnancy or the female is over 35 years of age than it should be started after 6 months.
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES:
- Lee, J. S., Hong, J. M., Moon, G. J., Lee, P. H., Ahn, Y. H., & Bang, O. Y. (2010). A long‐term follow‐up study of intravenous autologous mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in patients with ischemic stroke. Stem cells, 28(6), 1099-1106.
- Bang, O. Y., Lee, J. S., Lee, P. H., & Lee, G. (2005). Autologous mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in stroke patients. Annals of neurology, 57(6), 874-882.
- Chen, D. C., Lin, S. Z., Fan, J. R., Lin, C. H., Lee, W., Lin, C. C., ... & Lee, C. C. (2014). Intracerebral implantation of autologous peripheral blood stem cells in stroke patients: a randomized phase II study. Cell transplantation, 23(12), 1599-1612.
- Honmou, O., Houkin, K., Matsunaga, T., Niitsu, Y., Ishiai, S., Onodera, R., ... & Kocsis, J. D. (2011). Intravenous administration of auto serum-expanded autologous mesenchymal stem cells in stroke. Brain, 134(6), 1790-1807.
- Honmou, O., Onodera, R., Sasaki, M., Waxman, S. G., & Kocsis, J. D. (2012). Mesenchymal stem cells: therapeutic outlook for stroke. Trends in molecular medicine, 18(5), 292-297.
- Battistella, V., de Freitas, G. R., da Fonseca, L. M. B., Mercante, D., Gutfilen, B., Goldenberg, R. C., ... & Alves-Leon, S. V. (2011). Safety of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in patients with nonacute ischemic stroke. Regenerative medicine, 6(1), 45-52.