Physicians Make Strides in Cryopreservation
Photo/Cathy Blaivas
John K. Jain and Richard J. Paulson, physicians from USC Fertility, the nonprofit fertility practice at USC, reported an unprecedented pregnancy success rate of 63 percent resulting from the use of frozen eggs.
This early success rate is reflective of five out of the first eight study volunteers – out of a total number of 20 participants aged 35 or less – who achieved pregnancy following oocyte retrieval, cryopreservation, thaw, fertilization and transfer back to the patient as embryos.
The research project, which began in September 2004, is unique in that it is the first organized prospective study in which all of the eggs taken from each candidate in a single aspiration were frozen.
“This is very exciting news,” Jain said. “Our interim study data show that oocyte cryopreservation has become a viable clinical option. Our experience suggests that efficacy is much higher than previously thought and that we have turned a corner.”
Jain, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Keck School, is principal investigator on the self-funded study. Paulson, chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Keck School, is co-investigator.
USC Fertility laboratory director Mary Francis is the project’s lead embryologist.
“Much of this early success can be attributed to how well the new culture medium is working,” Francis said. “We’ve been able to use our standard embryo-freezing equipment with only a few, very minor adjustments.”
“While our sample is small and our data are still preliminary,” Paulson added, “we are nonetheless highly optimistic that this high rate of success will continue in the future.”
Jain, Francis and Paulson plan to publish their complete conclusions at study’s end in early 2006.
USC Fertility is a leader in fertility-related clinical research and is dedicated to developing treatment breakthroughs and providing all potential parents reliable and scientifically tested alternatives for building families today and tomorrow.
For more information, call (213) 975-9990.
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USC in the News
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The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
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