Artificial ovary mimics real hormone levels

[Eveline]

AN ARTIFICIAL ovary could make hormone replacement therapy (HRT) a thing of the past.

Women with damaged ovaries or who are post-menopausal don't produce sex hormones, which can lead to osteoporosis. Daily HRT helps, but can have side effects.

Emmanuel Opara at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, and colleagues placed two types of hormone-producing cells from rat ovaries inside an algal capsule, then exposed it to chemicals from the pituitary gland that stimulate hormone production. The cells made sex hormones in the same proportions as healthy ovaries (Biomaterials, doi.org/kxv). The hormone capsule would react more dynamically than HRT with fewer side effects, the team say.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21829115.600-artificial-ovary-mimics-real-hormone-levels.html?cmpid=RSS|NSNS|2012-GLOBAL|online-news

[ZoeM]

Could maybe be tied to a prosthetic/transplant/grown womb as part of SRS?

The future is exciting, that's for sure.

[Denjin]

They've also induced mouse ova from iPS:
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201210050063

So, if they do that from human cells and follow the same process in this new news, it would be pretty amazing.   It's all a matter of time, really.

[Robin Mack]

How exciting!  One day (maybe in my lifetime) the same tech can be applied to MTF and FTM, just with different hormones.  A quick implant and *zip* no more injections needed.  I can imagine it would be a popular add-in to top surgery.