We had a busy week at ART of IF. Maria and I attended and presented at two conferences in Houston and our undergraduate research intern, Lauren, presented her work with us during a poster session at Michigan State University. We’ll have personal accounts of both events for you soon. For now, here are a few stories from the week that caught our eye.

-Elizabeth

Infection Caused U.S. Uterus Transplant to Fail

WebMD News from HealthDay

by Steven Reinberg

“Preliminary results suggest that the complication was due to an infection caused by an organism that is commonly found in a woman’s reproductive system,” Cleveland Clinic doctors said in a statement. “The infection appears to have compromised the blood supply to the uterus, causing the need for its removal.”

3D printed ovary implants to treat female infertility successfully tested in mice

www.3ders.org

by Kira

“Once the criss-crossing structure of the 3D scaffold was assembled, the scientists seeded them with ovarian follicles—that is, the cellular aggregation where the egg and hormones are actually produced.  Together, the 3D printed gelatin scaffold and ovarian follicles create an artificial ovary bioprosthetic.”

UV-filtering chemicals in sunscreens may interfere with sperm function in males

News Nation

by PTI London

“The finding suggests that these UV filters are endocrine disruptors, Skakkebaek said. In addition, several of the UV filters affected important sperm functions normally controlled via CatSper, such as sperm motility.”