New baby hope for millions of infertile couples

Published on Saturday 10 January 2009 18:53

MILLIONS of couples around the world could finally see an end to their infertility misery thanks to work on a revolutionary new drug carried out in Scotland.

The first human trials of the drug – which has already proved effective in laboratory studies – are about to start and scientists said there was "huge excitement" over the development.

The Edinburgh-based team has been given a 500,000 grant to trial the drug, which should help patients to produce the correct balance of hormones necessary for normal fertility.

The treatment, if successful, will avoid the current need for surgery or drugs that cause potentially serious side-effects. In Scotland alone, an estimated 80,000 couples could be helped to have children.

The work is being carried out at the Medical Research Council's Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, and concentrates on the two most common causes of infertility in women.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis together affect about 250,000 Scottish women, of whom about 80,000 suffer fertility problems as a result.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects the ovaries, which mean they grow cysts and do not mature to produce eggs.

In endometriosis, cells usually found in the lining of the womb also grow elsewhere in the body and bleed internally during menstruation.

The head of the research team, Professor Robert Millar, said the drug – which has the clinical name kisspeptin antagonist – could prove a major breakthrough.

He told Scotland on Sunday: "I am always cautious. But I do think this is quite promising. This area of kisspeptin is a very new area and there's a huge amount of excitement about it."

The conditions are caused by abnormalities in the production of the female reproductive hormones. A naturally occurring protein called kisspeptin regulates the switching on and off of these hormones. But the system does not work correctly in one in 10 women, leading to PCOS and endometriosis.

The Scottish team took kisspeptin and created an artificial version – called kisspeptin antagonist – which in laboratory tests has proved it can make the natural protein work properly and normalise the release of hormones.

Millar said: "We don't anticipate any major side-effects because we have just taken a natural hormone and tweaked it."

Millar and his team will shortly begin their work after being awarded the 500,000 grant by the Medical Research Council. They are collaborating with colleagues from Harvard University in the US.

Tina Hoole, a 33-year-old from Glasgow who suffers from polycystic ovarian syndrome, said the development was "amazing".

Tina and her husband Wayne have been trying for a baby for seven years and are about to undergo IVF. Tina, a credit controller, has suffered three miscarriages, which may be linked to her condition. She was diagnosed in 2001 after experiencing rapid weight gain.

She said: "I can't let it get me down because I wouldn't function properly, but I take each day as it comes. For example, you don't seem to lose weight in the same way as other people. With facial hair, being overweight and having oily skin, it's a very undignified thing to have.

"When I was diagnosed, I was advised to start trying for a baby two to three years before I would want to have one, which I was a bit taken aback by, but we have now been trying for seven years. After each miscarriage it was really hard. This new drug sounds amazing, it sounds really positive."

The news was also welcomed by health campaigners. Rachel Hawkes, chairwoman of Verity, a self-help group for women with PCOS, said: "The new research is an incredibly interesting development for women with polycystic ovary syndrome, and one which we welcome. It's incredibly useful for women living with the condition to have another tool in the box.

"PCOS is often referred to as the 'thief of womanhood' and can be very distressing to manage. We look forward to hearing the results of the human trials and learning which women will benefit most from this potential new treatment."

A spokeswoman for the charity Infertility Network Scotland said: "Although this is at an early stage, any new research which could help patients with painful conditions such as endometriosis is welcome. If this also helps couples overcome infertility then that is also excellent news. We look forward to seeing the results of this research and hope that it helps couples in the future."

In an ironic twist, Millar revealed the same drug could even be used as a contraceptive. Used in the correct quantity, the new drug could halt the release of the hormone that triggers ovulation.

Infertility up

Many experts agree that infertility is on the rise. With more people tending to postpone having children to a later age, more are likely to have trouble conceiving.

As well as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, other reasons for infertility include the increase in obesity in men and women and sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, which can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and damage the fallopian tubes.

Smoking and binge drinking are the other factors that are reported to adversely affect infertility by reducing sperm count and quality and also by bringing about impotence in men. Lifestyle problems, such as stress, are also thought to make conception harder.

Chemicals in the environment, such as free radicals, artificial hormones and pesticides, are thought to be affect fertility in men.